


better than the original

by Thorsday



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers Family, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, But Steve Doesn’t Know That, Endgame Fix-It, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Smut, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Slow Burn, Thundershield - Freeform, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2019-11-23 15:15:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 49,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18153536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorsday/pseuds/Thorsday
Summary: “So what you’re telling me,” Steve said slowly, enunciating each word deliberately after he’d digested the new influx of information with coffee, “is that you’re from the future, and you went back in time to the wrong era.”“I’m afraid so.” Thor munched on his cookie, catching stray crumbs in his beard.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> wanted to get this out before endgame!! 
> 
> i’m aghast at the lack of thundershield fics, so voila!! my contribution.

Thor had a doppelgänger.

If the god had served a lifetime in prison and been recently released back into society, he’d look like this guy. 

Steve must’ve stared for longer than what was deemed socially acceptable because the guy stared right back with the same amount of intensity—except with an enormous, toothy grin.

“Steven!” The guy boomed enthusiastically as he gathered Steve into a bone-crushing embrace, literally sweeping him off his feet and twirling him in the air as if he weighed nothing.

Eyes wide, Steve was forced to clutch at the guy’s broad shoulders, more out of surprise than out of fear of being dropped. His mind reeled as the world did, dizzy from being spun without so much as a warning.

He felt small again, and the feeling was a rather unpleasant one.

“Hey,” He called none too kindly, eyes flitting around to ensure there weren’t any witnesses. Much to his chagrin, the guy had decided to scoop him up in the middle of the crosswalk, pedestrians maneuvering around them to reach their destination. “Mind putting me down?”

The man had the decency to at least appear mortified, before gently setting him onto solid ground again; although his bulky arms remained encircled around Steve’s waist. “My apologies. I’m just very happy to see you.”

“I can tell,” Steve said, deadpan. He shifted uncomfortably in the man’s firm hold, torn between the desire to pull away and to press closer. “I’m flattered, really, but the thing is...I don’t know you.”

 _And the signal’s about to turn red,_ he mentally augmented. Super soldier or not, he’d very much like to avoid being squashed into a flat pancake, thank you very much.

The guy seemed to be in deep thought, face lax as he mulled over Steve’s words, before his brilliant grin returned full force. It was jarring how easy the man could switch between emotions. “Of course! How could I forget? You don’t recognize me. Of course, of course.”

“Yeah.” Steve blinked dumbfoundedly as the man continued to mumble ‘of courses’ under his breath like a mantra. “That’s what ‘I don’t know you’ means.”

“Yes! Because of this!” The guy gestured vaguely at himself, lingering especially over his hair and mismatched eyes. Those were pretty. The artist within him itched to capture it onto paper. “And the absence of Mjolnir.”

“Mjolnir?” Steve echoed like a parrot, before everything clicked into place and all the stars in the sky aligned. “Thor, is that you?”

“Indeed!” Thor practically roared in his ear, and he was reminded of being partially deaf for a split second. “Alas, you do recognize me, even as far as the past.”

“What?” Steve asked, which had nothing to do with his temporary inability to hear through one ear. Maybe Tony was right; maybe his body _was_ catching up to his old age. “What do you mean by ‘the past?’”

“Let us talk in a more suitable location.” Thor motioned with his thumb towards the other end of the sidewalk, and Steve suddenly realized that this wasn’t the most ideal place to reunite with a companion. It was a miracle that their conversation hadn’t been interrupted, given how New Yorkers frequently blare their horns. 

“Lead the way,” Steve said, and he finally didn’t resist Thor slinging an arm around his waist to guide him into the bustling street to who-knows-where.

—

‘A more suitable location’ was a Starbucks to Thor.

“So what you’re telling me,” Steve said slowly, enunciating each word deliberately after he’d digested the new influx of information with coffee, “is that you’re from the future, and you went back in time to the wrong era.”

“I’m afraid so.” Thor munched on his cookie, catching stray crumbs in his beard. Steve stamped on the urge to wipe them with a napkin. “I understand if you don’t believe me.”

“Sure, why not?” Steve hefted up a shoulder as casually as he was able to. “You being here is proof enough. Your past self left not even thirty minutes ago. I seriously doubt you could get a haircut and everything in that timeframe.”

He paused to duck his head, scratching at an invisible itch on his cheek. “Besides, I know you wouldn’t lie to me.”

“I’m delighted I have your trust,” Thor said, smiling as he placed a massive hand over Steve’s and gave it a pat. “I assure you, I would never lie to you, even if I had to.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Steve rested his hand on top of Thor’s, and together they formed a neat stack of hands. Future Thor seemed to seek physical contact a _lot_ more than Past Thor did. Pastor. “What do you plan to do now?”

“There isn’t much _to_ do, other than wait for my teammates to arrive.” Thor, surprisingly, didn’t seem afraid at the possibility that he could be stuck here for all of eternity. “In the meantime, I can spend time with you.”

“Why?” Steve blurted before he could stop himself. At the confusion on Thor’s face, he quickly amended with, “I mean, I’m not...I’m sure there are more important things out there than wasting time with me.”

“Any time with you is precious.” Thor’s heterochromatic eyes—Steve doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to that—softened as he collapsed the hand stack, only to sandwich Steve’s hand between his. “You’re important to me, Steven.”

“That’s generous of you,” Steve said, and if his voice raised an octave at the end, no one had to know. He wiggled his hand out of Thor’s grasp to retrieve his cup, taking a long sip to hide his rapidly burning cheeks.

When he lowered the cup, he found that Thor was watching him. His breath caught at the immeasurable care and adoration in those eyes. He looked...content, like he didn’t want to be anywhere other than here, with Steve.

Steve wondered what his future self did to render Thor into an infatuated puppy.

“You are the one with a generous nature,” Thor insisted as he affectionately squeezed Steve’s hand. “I admire that about you.”

Steve found that hard to believe. Time traveling was far easier to accept in comparison. He was about to tell Thor just that when the god continued, “Not only that. I also admire the smallest details about you. Your humor, for one. The sound of your laughter. The way you smile. Your perseverance, resolution…I admire all of you, Steven.”

“Thor, that’s—I can’t even—” He didn’t know how to respond to that. What could he possibly say to beat that? His mouth flapped open and closed like a fish deprived of water, before he finally decided to laugh, albeit breathlessly. “Wow. Thank you.”

“As I’ve told you before,” Thor said as he lifted Steve’s hand until he pressed a kiss to Steve’s knuckles, “it’s my pleasure.”

“Um,” Steve says eloquently at the gesture. Was it getting hot in here, or was it just him? His throat felt parched and he was in desperate need of water. The caffeine wasn’t helping. “I’m not _your_ Steve, buddy. There isn’t a ‘before.’”

“I lo—like, every version of you.” As if to distract Steve from his slipup, Thor turned Steve’s hand to kiss his palm. Unfortunately, it worked, and Steve forgot how to think for a heartbeat. “You’re extraordinary.”

“I’m _extra_ ordinary,” Steve stubbornly countered, “if there’s more than one version of me.”

Thor’s mouth pulled downwards into a displeased frown, and Steve wanted to recant his words. “Steven, don’t belittle yourself. You—”

Whatever Thor was going to say next was interrupted by Steve’s phone vibrating. He threw him an apologetic smile, before glancing at the lit screen.

**Called in for briefing. Thor’s back with info. on Loki and his scepter.**

It was surreal, seeing Thor in front of him and knowing another Thor was with the Avengers.

“I’ve gotta go.” Steve pocketed his phone and pushed back his chair, standing to his full height. “Duty calls. You’re back to give us intel on Loki.”

“I see.” Something flickered in Thor’s eyes, but it dissipated as quickly as it came. He tried for a smile, but it was strained and wasn’t nearly as bright as it had been before. “Farewell, Steven.”

Steve turned to go, but then a thought manifested in his mind and he whirled around to face Thor. “Will I see you again?”

Without missing a beat, Thor reassured him with a simple, “You will.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pt. 2 is here due to popular demand!! 
> 
> kidding, but thanks for expressing interest in this,, every kudos and comment is appreciated!!

While the team studied schematic holographs, Steve studied past Thor.

He was practically _bouncing_ off the walls, overwhelming in both presence and energy.

Future Thor, on the contrary, looked so...weary. Tired, as though he carried the weight of the universe on his shoulders.

Steve wondered what had happened to him, for such a drastic change in not only appearance, but also personality.

Someone sharply cleared their throat, and Steve was abruptly jostled out of his reverie, embarrassed to be caught mid-thought. More than six pairs of eyes were trained on him, and it took Herculean strength not to shrink under the attention. 

“Hellooo, earth to Capsicle?” Stark, might he add unnecessarily, waved a hand in front of his face, as though he were casting a spell to ground him back to the present. Steve reveled in the irony—Stark _hated_ magic. “You still with us?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Steve straightened up in his seat and waved his own hand dismissively. “Just, you know, thinking.”

Stark must make it his personal mission to hit every single one of Steve’s nerves because he readily said, “Thinking about Thor’s juicy muscles?”

 _Don’t rise to the bait_ , _don’t rise to the bait,_ Steve thought repeatedly, clenching his jaw to refrain from snapping at the genius, billionaire, whatever he’d proclaimed earlier. “No. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t.”

“Anyway,” Banner interjected before Stark could open his mouth. “The Tesseract?”

Fortunately, the previous conversation resumed without further interruption. No longer the subject of the discussion, Steve released a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding, and he pretended not to notice the pointed look Natasha shot him.

An agonizing duration of time later, the meeting was finally over. He barely managed to make it past the door’s threshold when Natasha cornered him, drawing him away by the elbow to keep from prying ears.

“Can I help you?” Steve offered politely, pinned to the spot, if not by her grip, then with her calculating gaze. Her eyes narrowed marginally.

A dramatic beat of silence passed before she said, “It’s okay to have feelings, Cap.”

It took him several seconds to realize she was finished before he answered. “I, uh, appreciate the validation.”

“You should talk to him,” Natasha advised, like she specialized in relationship counseling or something. Given her diverse background, she probably was.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Steve said, feigning innocence. He fooled no one, not even himself and especially not Natasha.

”You’re a terrible liar,” She said, confirming his suspicions.

That didn’t stop him from trying to defend himself, though. “Besides, I don’t think of him in that way. He’s a teammate, a close friend, and very much _taken_.”

As if on cue, Thor curled an arm around Jane Foster and inclined his head to kiss her rather passionately. Beside them, Darcy Lewis was whooping and hollering.

“Who said anything about romantic feelings?” Natasha smiled devilishly, and damn it, she was right. Steve wasn’t about to admit that to her, though.

“No one.” Steve eased his elbow out of her grasp with a tight smile. “I was just listing facts about him.”

“Uh huh,” She said in a tone that implied she didn’t believe him at all. Her eyes drifted a few inches above his head. “Thor’s coming.”

“He is?” Steve quickly peered over his shoulder, only to see absolutely no one. He slowly returned his gaze, and, much to his annoyance, Natasha had an amused look on her face. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Sure it doesn’t.” She reached up to affectionately swat his cheek (swat, because that was too much force for it to be considered a pat). “Just think about it. It doesn’t hurt to.”

“Okay,” He said, mostly to humor her more than anything else. He risked a glance towards Thor, who was laughing boisterously at something Jane said, and he wondered if he could make future Thor laugh like that, too. “Will do.”

—

Natasha never specified _which_ Thor to talk to.

Steve swiftly exited the facility and retraced the route back to the last location he’d interacted with the god.

It wasn’t until he was squinting up at the Starbucks logo that it occurred to him: he didn’t have any means of contacting Thor. Nor did he know where he was. They didn’t exactly set up a rendezvous, and aimlessly wandering the streets wasn’t the most effective method.  

He was just about to head back to the Stark Tower when a heavy weight landed on his shoulder.

Fight response activating, he tensed his muscles and readied an attack, adrenaline pumping through—oh, it was only Thor, clasping a strong hand to his shoulder.

Steve immediately relaxed, as if the touch physically drained him.

“Steven, you have returned!” Thor bellowed, lightly tugging Steve into a brief, platonic hug (unlike the hug from earlier, Steve duly noted).

“Why wouldn’t I?” Steve asked without any heat once they parted, trying to ignore the sparks traveling up his spine when he felt Thor’s palm still lingering over the small of his back.

“I assumed you wouldn’t want anything to do with me,” Thor confessed, a somewhat measured look crossing his features.

“Well, assumptions are usually wrong.” Steve remembered his first impression of the Avengers and how they’d exceeded his expectations. “Take it from me.”

“Take what from you?”

“No, Thor.” Steve tried to bite back a laugh, his mouth twisting with the effort. “It's just a figure of speech.”

“Ah.” Thor gave a curt nod of understanding. “Yes. I remember that one now.”

“Remember?” Steve asked, before _he_ remembered. “Oh, right. The future.”

At the mention of his correct timeline, Thor’s face underwent a convoluted mixture of emotions.

“Sorry,” Steve apologized immediately. “Is it a touchy subject?”

“No, it’s expected for you to be curious.” Thor looked like he had more to say, but decided against it. ”There are some things I can’t reveal, but you may ask if you’d like.”

It felt like he’d just been handed an encyclopedia of the future. It was, to say the very least, exhilarating. Now, it was only a matter of _choosing_ what to ask.

 _Who’s the president?_ was the first question that came to mind. Steve sincerely hoped he or she was a capable one. _Is the future any better? Did all our work pay off? How much has changed? What does the past have that you need?_

He could feel the questions forming on his tongue, but the longer he looked at Thor, the more he felt like his questions weren’t adequate enough.

And the way Thor had reacted to just the mere mention of the future…that insinuated a _lot_. Not a lot of good, unfortunately, but that’s just the sad reality of life.

In the end, he chose not to ask any. “I think I’ll pass.”

Thor blinked in surprise, albeit the hard lines of his shoulders drooped in relief. “There isn’t anything you wish to know?”

“I guess I’ll find out when the time comes.” Steve _already_ felt like he was in the future—one moment he was at the bottom of the Antarctic, and the next he was in an unfamiliar New York.

“Speaking of time…” Thor trailed off as he rummaged in the pocket of his tacky red and white jumpsuit. “Is there any chance you can ask Stark to repair this?”

“Is that a...watch?” Steve took the offered wristwatch and rotated it for an inspection. “Looks pretty expensive. I could probably ask Stark to give you one. Can you believe he’s got more than ten? With a collection like that, I doubt he’ll miss losing just one.”

“Stark created the device you have now in your hands,” Thor informed him as he ran the pad of his thumb over the smooth, impeccable surface of the watch. “It’s what allowed my friends and I to travel back in time.”

“So you can’t just get any old watch. Got it.” Steve tapped on it, even tried to listen to it, but it didn’t change. “I’m no watch expert, but I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

As if to prove his point, Steve held the device up to the light for Thor to see. Everything was perfectly intact, and nothing appeared amiss.

Thor gave a noncommittal grunt. “The damage might be internal. I don’t know. Regardless of where the issues lie, it’s hindering me from returning.”

“Yeah, that’s not good.” Steve sympathetically winced as he stowed the watch away for safekeeping. “No offense, but you didn’t have a backup plan?”

“None taken.” Thor held the door open for a squad of teenagers, earning appreciative looks that had nothing to do with chivalry. “There wasn’t enough time for one.”

“Why not use your fancy watch to make time?” 

Thor smiled grimly. Steve didn’t know such an expression was possible. “If only it were that simple.”

Then he redirected that smile towards the sky, one eye mirroring the color. “My brother draws near. Prepare yourselves—he’s quite a nuisance.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for being patient!! this chapter turned out to be a retelling of the battle with loki and developed steve and tony’s relationship,, oOPS
> 
> hopefully the ending suffices!!

Getting a tiny glimpse of Thor’s, as Stark so elegantly put it, juicy muscles wasn’t worth receiving an energy blast to the stomach.

Steve keeled over as the air was punched from his lungs, the sheer force of the impact sending him down onto his knees.

As he tried to regulate his breathing, he watched Thor upheave a vehicle and effortlessly chuck it into a swarm of Chitauri with a mere swing of his hammer.

If he weren’t in so much excruciating pain, he would’ve been impressed.

It wasn’t until Thor had outstretched a hand to him that he realized the Asgardian had shifted from being in front of him to being beside him. “You ready for another bout?”

“What?” Steve asked as he gladly took it, bracing a forearm against the burning sensation in his abdomen. “You gettin’ sleepy?”

He tried not to think about how familiar it felt, or the content feeling that came with it, considering the fact that they’ve never held hands before.

Or, his mind argued, at least with  _this_ Thor.

The god scoffed as he haphazardly hurled Mjolnir, clearing another mob of soldiers before promptly returning to his hand. “Hardly. This is child’s play.”

“Good. Wouldn’t want you passing out on me.” Steve reluctantly released Thor’s other hand in lieu of wielding his shield. When the last of the pain had ebbed away, he twisted his whole body for maximum power and flung his own weapon with all his might. 

It whizzed through the air—a deadly frisbee—and successfully hit home. “I’d hate to have to drag you around.”

“That is if you _can,_ ” Thor challenged, the corner of his mouth tilting in a slow, daring smirk. “I have seen you spar with our fellow companions. You can scarcely lift the Widow, let alone me.”

“That’s only because I’m going easy on them.” Steve caught his shield before the subtle implication. Turning slightly, he raised an eyebrow at the god. “Wait, hold on. You’ve been watching me spar?”

“As you have been watching me?” Thor fired back, his eyebrow quirking to match Steve’s.

So he _had_ noticed Steve scrutinizing his, er, dimensions (only to compare him to future Thor, of course). What baffled Steve was that he hadn’t bothered to question his motives.

He was still racking his brain for an answer that didn’t sound outlandish or creepy when Natasha’s voice filtered through the comms. “I can close it. Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down.”

Thankful for a distraction, Steve wrenched his gaze away from Thor to stare in the direction of the Tesseract, searching for Natasha’s form in the distance. “Do it!”

“No, wait,” Stark, unsurprisingly, cut in. “I’ve got a nuke coming in. It’s gonna blow in less than a minute.”

There was an overly dramatic pause before he added, “And I know just where to put it.”

Steve exchanged a look with Thor, who appeared to realize the situation at the exact same time he did. “Stark, you know that's a one-way trip.”

Stark knew. They all did.

Yet he did it anyway.

Before anyone could object, Stark flew overhead, redirecting the missile towards the portal—towards the hole torn in the sky.

Steve wanted to say something, _anything,_ to make up for all of their hostile interactions. But when he tried to speak, his voice failed him.

He wound up saying nothing as Stark and the nuke disappeared into the portal.

“Come on,” He heard Natasha quietly plead when Stark didn’t instantly re-emerge, her voice growing desperate with each passing minute. “Come on, Stark.”

He looked at Thor again, but the god refused to meet his gaze, keeping it locked on the portal. Suddenly, he felt the weight of the watch sitting in his pocket, and the reassurance that Stark was going to make it invigorated him to say, “Close it.”

And just as the tear in the heavens sealed, a vibrant red blur plummeted towards the earth like a fast approaching comet.

It’s a goddamn _miracle._

“He made it.” A smile broke out on Steve’s face as Hulk cushioned Stark’s fall, using the side of a building to slow his descend before roughly tossing the human comet down.

Steve rushed to Stark’s—no, _Tony’s_ —side and bent down to listen for a heartbeat.

Only when he gently touched the rim of the arc reactor and saw that the glow of the equivalence of Tony’s heart was faint did his smile start to slip.

All hope was lost—that is, until Hulk roared and pounded furiously at his chest, startling Tony awake.

 _Huh,_ Steve thought as the engineer flitted his eyes around, gasping wildly for air. _That’s one way of waking someone up._

“What the hell? What just happened?” Tony demanded once he’d fully regained his breath. His amber eyes grew round and saucer-like when they landed on Steve. “Please tell me nobody kissed me.”

Steve couldn’t help it; he laughed. He laughed because this and everything’s that’s happened thus far was insane and just plain _ridiculous._

After a moment, Thor joined in, and then Natasha, and then Barton, and soon everyone was laughing hysterically along with him.

Everyone _but_ Tony, who was as confused as ever. Steve didn’t blame him; their combined laughter somehow sounded both hearty and maniacal. “What? What’s so funny?”

“We won, Tony,” Steve said when the laughter started to die down. “That’s what funny. We’re a ragtag team, and yet we still won.”

“Alright. That _is_ something to laugh about.” Tony looked beyond relieved. Steve shared the same sentiment. “Hey, alright.”

Then he raised his voice to address the entire team. “Good job, guys. Let’s just not come in tomorrow. Let’s just take a day. You ever tried shawarma? There’s a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don’t know what it is, but I wanna try it.”

No one objected, so they try it, and it turns out that shawarma isn’t all that bad. Steve finds the Avengers, especially Tony, to be like shawarma.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ruins of the city, all that remained of the notorious Stark sign was a gigantic “A.”

—

Future Thor was perched on a mound of rubble, gazing up at the dimming sky with an indecipherable look on his face.

Steve was standing at the bottom of the pile, clutching a brown paper bag at his side. He felt like a shy schoolgirl, giving a homemade lunch to her crush.

Except that none of the aforementioned applied to him: he wasn’t a schoolgirl and he hadn’t made anything, from either scratch or recipe. And he certainly didn’t have a crush on Thor.

“Hey!” Steve called up to the figure at the top of the debris. He cupped a free hand around his mouth to project his voice. “Got room for one more?”

“There’s always room for you,” Thor said, naturally loud enough to be heard without shouting. Steve hoped it was dark enough to obscure his red face.

When the heat in his cheeks finally subsided, Steve began to scale the wreckage, stopping occasionally when a misplaced foot sent loose rocks tumbling down. Four near slips later, he finally reached Thor’s spot and settled in the empty space next to him.

“Is that for me?” Thor eyed the bag crumpled in Steve’s hand, those eyes he longed to recreate on a canvas brimming with poorly contained mirth. 

“Yeah.” Steve placed the bag on the god’s knee to keep from dwelling on that thought, watching it teeter left and right before eventually balancing out. “Figured you’d be hungry.”

“Famished.” Thor hummed appreciatively, before ripping open the bag and practically inhaling the shawarma whole. When he was finished, all that was left were crumbs.

“If I’d known you had an appetite like that,” Steve said as he peered down at what used to be shawarma, “I would’ve ordered more.” 

“You’re too considerate, Steven,” Thor said in an uncharacteristically hushed voice.

It suddenly occurred to Steve that he didn’t know anything about Thor. Sure, both past and future Thor shared the same accent, but that’s where the similarities ended.

It was almost like talking to a familiar stranger who knew all about you, but you knew nothing about them in return.

When he came to, Thor was looking at him expectantly. Steve realized he was waiting for a response. “Sorry, what?”

“Is that why you didn’t eat today?” Thor repeated patiently. “You saved it for me?” 

Steve stared at him for a solid minute. The team, _including_ past Thor, hadn’t questioned him when he’d requested for takeout and excused himself from the table. So how did Thor…? “How’d you—how do you know that?”

“I noticed you hadn’t touched your food that day—ah, today.” Thor upturned his face, finding the sky interesting again. “I didn’t think anything of it back then. I regret not asking you when I had the chance.”

He leveled an eye—the earth brown one—on Steve. There was the barest hint of a smile on his lips. “Now I know why.” 

How did he manage to make everything sound so sweet? 

Distantly, Steve wondered if Jane was a major factor in his sincerity. 

“The other day, you said I can ask you anything,” Steve recalled, providing a small smile of his own. He lightly knocked his knee against Thor’s, hoping the gesture offered some semblance of comfort. “I just want you to know that the same goes for you.”

“Thank you.” The corners of Thor’s eyes crinkled as he returned the bump. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

And then they watched the sun dip under the horizon together, their knees still touching.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is longer than usual,, and it doesn’t even feature future thor ajsjs but i’ll make up for it in the next update!!
> 
> kudos and comments are always appreciated!!

_He’s back in the 1940s, in his rightful era, sharing a beer with Bucky. The atmosphere is lovely, brimming with laughter, chatter, and the telltale clinking of glass._ _  
_ _  
_ _A cliché love song starts to play from a rickety-old jukebox. He looks up as a breathtaking woman saunters across the bar, her eyes set on him and only him alone._ _  
_ _  
_ _It’s Peggy, in all her glory, with her powerful aura and her unmistakable, cherry red lips._ _  
_ _  
_ _”You’re late,” She accuses when she reaches him, although her tone lacks any bite to it. They all laugh, Steve the loudest, before she offers him an inviting hand. “May I have this dance?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Steve glances at Bucky for confirmation, but all the brunette does is roll his eyes and raise his glass like he’s toasting. “Go enjoy yourself, punk.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _But when he turns back to Peggy, ready to accept her request, she’s not there anymore._ _  
_ _  
__It’s_ _Thor._

—

 _What?_ Steve roused from his slumber and stared up at the ceiling in bewilderment, trying to make sense of his environment in the nooks and crannies.

He wasn’t, in fact, seated at a cozy bar, but in his designated room at the new and improved Avengers Tower, curled in a ball and nestled beneath a thin duvet with an arm carelessly shoved under his pillow.

He’s had similar dreams before, with the exact same set up and dialogue. Rarely did anything change, and if they did, the changes were minor.

But Thor? That was a new, unexpected twist.

With a groan, Steve sat upright in bed and rubbed groggily at his eyes with the heels of his palms, kneading the last remnants of sleep away.

“Good morning, Captain Rogers,” JARVIS greeted him when he slid out from the covers and drew open the curtains. Slowly, warm sunlight filled the expanse of the decorated room. “It is currently 5:32 AM.”  
  
“Is that early?” Steve asked as he smothered a yawn into the crook of his elbow, the corners of his eyes pricking with tears. “Is anyone else awake?”  
  
“Yes, to both questions. Sir is active at this time.”  
_  
_ “Great.” Steve’s mind switched on autopilot, perfunctorily carrying out his daily morning routine. “Can you let him know I’m coming over?”

“Of course. Relaying your message to Sir.”

He was in the process of splashing refreshingly cold water on his face when the A.I. answered. “Sir said, and I quote, ‘What’s the occasion? Does he need relationship advice from moi? Hoo, is it a Thor sitch? Ask him if it is. No, wait, don’t.’”

“It’s got nothing to do with—” Steve clacked his jaw shut when he realized that it did, actually, involve Thor. Quickly, he tried to backpedal. “It’s to discuss technical matters.”

“‘Is that an innuendo? Just kidding. J, stop repeating everything to him. I know you’re doing it right now. Whatever. Go let him know I’m ready.’”

“Ready in five.” Steve toweled his face, retrieved Thor’s watch from his nightstand, and headed for the elevator.

—

“Capsicle!” Tony exclaimed as he maneuvered around his workshop in a swivel chair—his favorite mode of transportation when he wasn’t in the Iron Man suit. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Steve hovered awkwardly by the workbench, uncertain of what to do with himself. “There’s something I need you to take a look at.”

“And that something is…?” Tony pushed against the ground with a foot, using the momentum to spin over to Steve’s side of the room. “Something fun, I hope.”

“I don’t know if this is your idea of ‘fun,’ but…” Steve unfurled his fingers to present Thor’s watch, holding it out for Tony to examine. “It’s broken, apparently.”

“Ooh, fancy.” Tony weighed the watch in the palm of his hand, interest evidently piqued. “What’d you do to it? Crush it with your buttocks?”

“It doesn’t belong to me. It’s a friend’s,” Steve said, feeling an oddly strong need to clarify. “I’ve got no idea what happened to it; just that it needs fixing.”

Tony pursed his lips and let out a low, appreciative whistle. “This is some high-tech stuff. Where’d your buddy get their hands on something like this?”

Steve had to grip the side of the table to keep his composure, resisting the compelling urge to laugh at the dramatic irony. _From you, well into the future._

“I don’t know,” He said instead. 

“Huh.” Tony placed it on space not already occupied by other junk. “J, can you scan it?”

A bright, neon blue light flashed briefly over the watch. “I cannot detect any abnormalities. It is comprised of extraterrestrial components and...entirely new elements.”

“Ugh, I’m still wrapping my mind around the whole ‘aliens exist!’ thing.” Tony spun over to his assortment of tools, selecting a screwdriver to poke at the watch. “Since we don’t know the source of the problem, or how to _open_ this damn thing, it’ll take a while to fix.”

“But can you do it?” Steve asked. Tony stopped what he was doing to cast an offended look at him, as if he’d just insulted his entire career. “I’m guessing that’s a yes.”

“J’ll give you live updates.” Tony gesticulated vaguely, before resuming his actions. “Now get out of my workshop. I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

—

Steve raised his wrapped fists in a typical fighting stance, poised to attack his formidable opponent: the punching bag.

Bunching up his muscles, he threw an experimental left hook.

The cylindrical bag swayed slightly from the impact, but otherwise remained intact.

Thrilled that it could endure his punches, he followed with two short, heavy jabs to the base.

“Training hard, I see.”

Steve seized up at the sound of Thor’s voice, hand held mid-swing. He poked his head out from behind the punching bag, watching as past Thor entered the gym. “Unlike you?”

Thor gathered up his hair in one hand, tying it in place with the other. “I am training hard to become the perfect heir to the throne.”

“And that doesn’t include fighting?” Steve asked as Thor joined him on the mat, binding his hands with hand wraps the opposite color of Steve’s.

“I refine my fighting skills during battles.” Thor punched the air with his newly wrapped hands, as if to demonstrate. “I am not opposed to sparring, if you wish.”

“I do wish.” Steve loped to the middle of the mat, establishing the parameters of the fight. “I wanted to drag you around, remember?”

“I believe you said you would loathe to drag me around.”

They started to circle one another, maintaining intense eye contact. Both men lifted their fists, daring the other to strike first.

“Did I?” Steve squared back his shoulders and bounced on the balls of his feet, eyes slanting as he sized up his new opponent. “Mind helping me jog my memory?”

Thor grinned. “I would be delighted to.”

And then he lunged forward and threw a lightning-fast punch.

Steve parried with an arm, taking the brunt of the force in his bicep. He tucked into a roll to avoid another punch and kicked out a leg in the process, thwacking Thor in the ribcage.

He’d just gotten to his feet when Thor unleashed an onslaught of attacks. He’d barely managed to block in time, tanking the relentless hits with a grimace.

After a full minute of exchanging punches, they sprang apart to catch their breaths, once again circling the mat like caged tigers.

“You getting sleepy?” Thor taunted, somehow not even breaking a sweat.

“I’m just getting started,” Steve said as he dove in and reared back his arm, concentrating all his energy into a single blow.

Thor pivoted to evade his attack, catching his fist with a grunt. He twisted Steve’s limb until he had no choice but to follow the unnatural angle.

With an “oof,” Steve landed unceremoniously onto his stomach, bucking wildly until he felt a knee dig between his shoulder blades.

“You call this dragging me around?” Thor asked, leaning down to speak directly into his ear. Loose strands of hair had fallen out of the elastic band, tickling Steve’s face.

Steve harrumphed. “I call this warming up.”

He surged up onto his knees and smacked Thor’s chin with the back of his cranium, eliciting a pained groan. Taking advantage of Thor’s dropped guard, Steve dislodged Thor’s restricting hold and reversed their positions.

With a heavy exhale, Steve re-enacted the move Nat had used on him the day previous, locking his thighs around Thor’s neck and flipping him onto his back.

Thor growled when he hit the mat, straining to break Steve’s hold. 

“Are you—” Steve panted out, his chest heaving and dropping from all the physical exertion. “Are you tapping out?”

Thor writhed one last time, before glaring up at him. “Yes.”

Steve finally released him and starfished on the ground. He felt icky, slick from head to toe in beads of sweat. “Ugh.”

“Agreed.” Thor blew hair out of his face. “You are a worthy opponent, Captain.”

“Thanks.” Steve wiped at a sheen of sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. “You too.”

Suddenly, Clint was looming above them. Steve was reminded that the gym was a public space. “That was great and all, but are we really going to be without our weapons on the job?”

“It’s not a job—” Steve began to reprimand, ready to launch into a spiel.

“‘It’s our duty as an Avenger,’” Clint said in a mocking tone. “Yeah, yeah, it’s not like you haven’t said that before.”

“For how long have you been observing, Barton?” Thor asked before Steve could try to deny it. 

“Long enough. I see Cap’s been learning from the master,” He said, referring to Nat’s signature move.

“It’s hard to replicate.” Steve propped himself up onto his elbows when his lungs stopped feeling like they were going to combust. “I’ve never done it before.”

“That’s not bad,” Clint said, encouragingly, “for a first.”

Admist their conversation, Thor must‘ve gotten to his feet and was now extending a hand to Steve. Steve firmly clasped their palms, clammy,  _familiar_ , and Thor hoisted him to his.

“Up for a rematch?” Steve asked, motioning towards their weapons currently roosting on wooden benches. “I’ll use the shield if you use the hammer.”

“Very well then.” Thor whooshed Mjolnir into his outstretched hand. “Barton?”

Clint held up his palms and vigorously shook his head. “Oh, no. Count me out. I’d probably die if one of you stepped on me.”

“Suit yourself.” Steve shrugged and hefted up his shield by the straps. “Might want to get out of the rink if you don’t want to get stepped on, Clint.”

“Don't have to tell me twice.” With that, Clint scrambled to scurry out of the fighting rink. As soon as his foot left the mat, the battle commenced.

Steve and Thor rushed at each other, their weapons clashing as they met in the center. They matched hit for hit, falling into a steady rhythm.

With a roar, Thor struck his hammer against the star on Steve’s shield.

The impact reverberated throughout the entire gym, the force so immense that it busted the punching bag off its chain.

“Holy shit!” Clint exclaimed, jaw dropping to the floor.

Steve stared down at his weapon in amazement, then at Thor. The god looked equally gobsmacked. “You said it.”

“Indeed.”

They smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> moving onto the winter soldier now!! 
> 
> the last bit is based on an evansworth interview (‘:
> 
> kudos and comments are always appreciated!!

“Here’s the plan,” Steve began as he turned to regard each individual agent, slipping into his stern ‘Captain America’ voice. “I’m gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc.”  
  
His gaze lingered on the only two faces he recognized amongst the sea of strangers. “Nat, you'll kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft. Find the hostages, get ‘em to the life-pods, get 'em out.”

He glanced about the fuselage again. “Any questions?”  
  
The STRIKE team shook their heads in unison.  
  
“Then let’s move.” Fastening his shield to his back, he gave the signal.

As the agents dispersed to adjust and double-check equipment, he held up his wrist to speak directly into his communicator. “Secure channel seven.”  
  
“Seven secure,” Nat reported. When he lowered his wrist, he was met with eyes that twinkled with nothing but mischief. “Did you do anything fun Saturday night?”  
  
_Spar with Thor_ , Steve thought, and was _about_ to say before he realized how utterly lame that sounded.

Plus, he knew Nat would find some way to twist the meaning of his words. “No, not really.”  
  
Luckily, the pilot radioed in before she could press for more. “Coming up by the drop zone, Cap.”  
  
Unluckily, she seemed to sense his relief and teasingly nudged him with her hip. “I’m just looking out for you. Who knows? Maybe Thor feels the same…”

Steve released a long suffering sigh as the bay doors opened to the crashing ocean, the sudden gust of wind whipping the salty tang of waves and hair into his face.

He forwent retrieving a parachute to tuck the loose strands of hair into his helmet, exasperation plain on his countenance. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

Nat flashed him a smile as he readied to jump, listing against a support beam to combat the lashing weather. “That’s awfully hypocritical of you.”  
  
And if Steve jumped early to eschew answering, no one needed to know that.

—

At neckbreak speed, Steve clambered over the side of the ship and apprehended the unsuspecting enemies.

With impeccable timing, Nat parachuted down, disposed of her backpack, and continued their conversation on the aircraft. “Okay, take Thor out of the equation. What about the nurse that lives near us? She seems kind of nice.”

“Secure the engine room,” He said, quickening his pace in search of Batroc, “Then find me a date.”  
  
“I’m multitasking!” She replied irritably, and hurdled over a railing to accomplish her part of the mission.  
  
Or, at least, Steve _thought_ she was.  
  
As he scanned the deck for signs of Batroc, he checked in on her. “Nat, status report.”  
  
He was rewarded with silence.  
  
“Status report, Natasha.”  
  
More silence.

“Fine. Forget about securing the engine room. Circle back to Rumlow and protect the hostages—” Steve abruptly cut off when he detected a blur at the edge of his peripheral, jerking up his shield to block a well-aimed kick.  
  
Batroc launched a series of attacks, each driving Steve closer and closer to the ground until he was practically scooting on his ass.  
  
He barely parted his legs in time to avoid a boot to the crotch, eyes comically wide.  
  
Batroc snickered.  
  
In retaliation, Steve kneed him particularly hard in the solar plexus.  
  
The man executed several acrobatic flips to place distance between them, landing gracefully on his feet. Curling his lip, he sneered, “Je croyais que tu étais plus qu'un bouclier.”  
  
With his limited knowledge of French, Steve roughly translated: _I thought that you were more than just a shield._ _  
_  
Steve refastened that _very_ shield to his back and unlatched the strap of his helmet, sliding it off to reveal a shock of messy blonde hair underneath.  
  
“On va voir,” Steve said. _Let's see._  
  
At the drop of his helmet, they fought again.  
  
Steve moved with renewed purpose, knocking Batroc further and further back until he was close enough to the door.

When he was positioned right at the entrance, Steve broke off into a sprint, grabbed Batroc’s midsection, and used him as a battering ram.

The door was ripped off its hinges, sending up clouds of dust. When the particles settled, he glowered down at Batroc’s unconscious body, daring him to rise again.  
  
“Well, this is awkward,” Nat said, eyes glued to the computer monitor in front of her.  
  
Steve deserted Batroc’s body to stalk over to her. “I tried reaching you more than once, you know.”  
  
Nat spared him a sidelong glance. “Sorry, I was a little _preoccupied_ with securing the engine room like you asked.”  
  
Steve didn’t need to read the data scrolling across the screen to know what she was doing. “You're saving SHIELD Intel. Our mission is to rescue hostages.”  
  
“No. That's _your_ mission.” Nat ejected the flash drive and prodded his arm with it as she ambled by. “And you've done it beautifully.”  
  
Steve seized her elbow before she could go any further. “You just jeopardized this whole operation.”  
  
“I think that's overstating things.”  
  
All of a sudden, Batroc—Steve _swore_ he’d punched his lights out—flung a grenade into the air.  
  
Reflexively, Steve used his shield to deflect the explosive.  
  
Counting down the seconds, he gathered Nat in his arms and leaped through a window pane, hoisting his shield up to cover them when the windows imploded.  
  
Nat winced under his piercing glare, sharp as the glass raining down on them. “Okay. That one's on me.”  
  
Steve shook pieces of glass off his shield with more aggression than necessary. “You're damn right.”

—

When he returned, he found that future Thor was waiting for him on the front steps.  
  
The god looked absorbed in thought, multicolored eyes distant as he idly felt the cuff of his sleeve.  
  
He must’ve revamped his attire while Steve was out on a mission, now donning an olive green jacket and a gray undershirt.

His dark eyebrows were drawn downwards in contemplation, his mouth a hard, troubled line.

Suddenly, the morose expression melted away to pure, unadulterated joy upon noticing Steve. “Steven, you’re back!”

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” Steve said as he hunkered down on the steps beside him, feeling all the pent up anger from the operation dissipating at Thor’s warm smile. “I told you I’d be out until morning.”  
  
Thor made a distracted _“mmm”_  deep in his throat as he took Steve’s gloved hand in his, removing bits of glass that he’d either missed or hadn’t noticed. “I wanted to.”

Steve watched him for a second. Then he said, “I wish I wasn’t so busy. Things have come up and—”

“Don’t fret,” Thor interrupted, checking over his hand a final time before placing the appendage back onto Steve’s lap. “I understand. My past self was busy as well.”

“Doing what? Eating bountiful feasts and drinking mead?” Steve attempted at a joke.

Thor’s smile faltered ever-so-slightly, and he looked askance. “Yes. I should’ve spent my time more wisely.”  
  
Steve felt like he’d just opened a huge can of worms—and like an asshole. “Thor, I didn’t mean to—”  
  
“I don’t hold you at fault.” A kicked puppy expression was etched onto his face. Despite what he’d just said, Steve felt like the kicker. “I wonder sometimes that if I hadn’t done the things I did, then perhaps the outcome would differ.”  
  
“Hey.” Steve dropped a hand to Thor’s knee and offered a squeeze of solace. “What’s done is done.”

Featherlight, Thor laid his hand over Steve’s and slotted their fingers together. 

For a hot moment, Steve’s mind blanked out from the unanticipated gesture, hyper-focusing on the intimate contact.

It took several tries to regain his ability to speak again. “S-Sure, there are times when I think to myself, ‘What if I didn’t put the plane in the water?’”

Admittedly, he’d thought about it more than once. If he’d tried to defuse the bombs or to find another way...

He would’ve seen the end of the war. He would’ve married Peggy, grown old with her. He would’ve settled down, maybe have a few kids _._ He would’ve passed on the “Captain America” mantle to someone else, seen his legacy continued.

He would’ve been the first hero to have a happy ending.

And yet he didn’t want it.

In the past, he’d longed for a normal life after the war. But now? He thinks he left the guy who wanted all of that in the ice. 

“But then that means I wouldn’t be here, with you,” Steve said, after coming to peace with his new revelation. To add a little levity, he appended, “And I’d actually look my age.”

Thor chuckled, and it wasn’t a rambunctious laugh like his past self’s, but it was pleasant to hear all the same. “Thank you. You seem to always know what to say.”  
  
Ironically, Steve didn’t know what to say to that. He smiled in the absence of words.  
  
“That reminds me!” Thor dug through the pocket of his new jacket, pulling out a small, disheveled-looking box. “I have a gift for you.”  
  
“What is it?” Steve asked as he held the box to his ear, shaking it experimentally and hearing something jangle inside. Setting it in his lap, he carefully peeled away the wrapping paper and lifted the lid to see…  
  
“A necklace. You got me a necklace,” Steve stated as he gingerly lifted the accessory out of its casing, mesmerized by the way the pendant glinted beautifully in the sunlight.  
  
“It’s no ordinary necklace. It’s a friendship necklace,” Thor corrected with a proud look, as if that explained everything. “Caro—a friend of mine once told me they’re essential to symbolizing a companionship. I thought this would suit you.”  
  
“I like it.” Steve smiled besottedly at the excitement in Thor’s eyes, then at the necklace in his hand. Without further ado, he slipped it over his head and let the half-broken heart fall to his chest.

“How do I look?” He jested as he posed like a model, presenting the article of jewelry with a thumb.

Thor searched his face, taking in his appearance with a strange look in his eyes. “Happy.”  
  
“Hap—what?”

“I’m adorning the other half!” Thor outburst, reaching under the neckband of his shirt to show the missing piece. “Once we align them, they form a heart.”  
  
It was...endearing that Thor valued their friendship enough to purchase matching necklaces. Did he buy the future Avengers necklaces? Did _future_ _Steve_ have one?

“Is that intentional?” He inquired, instead of the other questions. “The heart?” 

It might’ve just been his imagination, but Thor looked shy. “There weren’t any other, ah, designs I liked.”

“Too simple for your taste?”  
  
“I wouldn’t eat the jewelry, no,” Thor said, and the genuinity in his voice startled a laugh out of Steve. 

“I wouldn’t either,” He said, curling a hand protectively around the pendant. “It’s lovely, Thor. Thanks.”

The god peered down at his own pendant, and smiled fondly. “The pleasure is all mine.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> planning to see endgame on the 28th!!
> 
> i’ll adjust my fic outline accordingly after watching it,, but due to impulsive reasons i read a LOT of spoilers and now this fic is an endgame fix-it with heavy thundershield!!
> 
> the future (haha) chapters will be laden with action (but what can you do?? it’s marvel ajsjdj) and will contain spoilers of endgame with MAJOR alterations bc i’m upsetti spaghetti
> 
> personal stuff in the end notes,,
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Steve had been invited to attend a veterans meeting without realizing it.

Now that he thought about it, it kinda made more sense.

_“Any time you wanna stop by the VA,”_ Sam Wilson had said with an incredibly irresistible and friendly smile, “ _make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know._ ”

VA, as in, Veterans Administration.

Instead of leaving before anyone noticed, he opted to stay, maintaining a low profile and keeping to himself near the back of the room.

Although a select few attendees _did_ glance in his direction and an even fewer number nodded in respect, he was—for the most part—left unbothered.

It was...nice to be treated as a normal person for once, instead of a famous celebrity.

Much to his disappointment, the group session came to an end.

Veterans filed out in an unhurried fashion, shaking Sam’s hand and bidding their goodbyes.

Steve stood waiting by the door.

He was just about to check his phone for updates on Nick Fury’s state when Sam said, “Look who it is: the running man.”

“Caught the last few minutes.” Steve let out a breath to expel the jitteriness from hearing all the stories lingering in his chest. “It's pretty intense.”

“Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems.” The smile on Sam’s face was rather terse, unlike the smile from the other day. “Guilt. Regret.”

Steve thought he could see those particular emotions flicker in Sam’s eyes. “You lose someone?”

“My wingman, Riley.” Sam peered up at the ceiling, as if he could see Riley there. “Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op; nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky.”

He solemnly shook his head, returning his gaze to Steve again. “Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch.”

Steve’s heart ached for him. He knew how he felt; he’d watched Bucky fall off the train. “I'm sorry. But you're happy now, back in the world?”

Sam grinned widely. “Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell yeah. You thinking about getting out?”

“No,” Steve said automatically. “I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did.”

“Ultimate fighting?” Sam jokingly said, to which Steve laughed. “But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do.”

Sadly, what he wanted to do conflicted with his duties. Art required patience, creativity, and time—time he didn’t have. Being Captain America left minimal room to pursue his interests.

“What makes you happy?” Sam was asking when he returned back to the present.

Art was his first thought. Disney movies were a close second. Maybe justice? Saving people? What was a safe answer?

He decided on a simple, “I don't know.”

Sam looked sympathetically at him, before brightening up with an idea. “How about I help you find something that makes you happy? Whenever you’re free, that is.”

“You aren’t just offering because you want to look ‘cool,’ right?” Steve questioned, despite hearing the sincerity in Sam’s voice and somehow knowing he wasn’t that type of person.

“Not at all. Just wanted to help a fellow vet out.” A cordial smile crossed Sam’s features. “You deserve to be happy, too. Besides, you can’t make me look ‘cool’ if we’re not doing this in public.”

“We’re not?” Steve asked, trying not to let his surprise show.

“No,” Sam said, appearing mildly amused. “When you come back from service—or from being a block of ice, in your case—it usually takes a while to adjust. I don’t want to force you to go out when you’re not ready to.”

_That_ would explain why he felt slightly off.

The battle with Loki, being sent on multiple missions, and the whole fiasco with future Thor hadn’t left much time for adjustment. Now that things have settled down...he felt like an outsider in his own home.

“Sounds good to me,” Steve said, retrieving his phone to punch in Sam’s number. But before he could, however, a message from Nat popped up on the screen.  

Cold dread seized his core.

**Nick didn’t make it.**

“Everything okay?” Sam asked, worry evident in his tone.

Steve hastily shoved his phone back into his pocket and tried to recollect his composure, working a default smile onto his face. “Yeah. I have to go.”

—

The elevator doors slid open.

Rumlow and a few other agents boarded, acknowledging Steve’s presence with a curt, “Cap.”

Steve’s response was equally succinct. “Rumlow.”

The elevator doors closed, and they started riding down.

Steve’s eyes also happened to wander downwards, catching the precise moment an agent braced a hand on his weapon.

Unless he was itchy, or the weapon was digging cumbersomely into his thigh, there was no other reason to touch it.

He furrowed his eyebrows.

“I’m sorry about what happened with Fury,” Rumlow said, effectively dragging his attention from the agent. “Messed up, what happened to him.”

“Thank you,” Steve said for the umpteenth time that hour as the elevator stopped to let in more agents, accepting the condolences impassively.

Steve glanced towards an agent at random, tracking the bead of sweat trickling down the man’s forehead.

As the elevator doors closed, Steve realized he was surrounded on all sides—and severely outnumbered.

Figures.

“Before we get started,” Steve drawled, his voice loud in the dead silent elevator, “Does anyone want to get out?”

The tension in the air was palpable.

Steve’s eyes flicked towards the agent in front of him.

There was a moment’s pause before that agent activated an electric rod and whipped around, thrusting his weapon towards Steve.

Steve careened sharply backwards to avoid getting shocked—straight into the waiting arms of other agents. He grit his teeth as they tried to bind his wrists to the wall with suitcase cuffs, straining against the hands and the magnetic pull.

In the desperate scuffle to restrain him, he managed to smash a kneecap and elbow a guy in the chest, sending one of two cuffs flying.

He slammed his cranium against the agent choke-holding him, grasping the arm around his neck and judo throwing the man over his shoulder.

Before Steve could react, Rumlow kicked his recently freed wrist, and he was bolted to the wall with the remaining cuff.

He jolted as an electrical current charged through him, his muscles spasming from the painful stimulus. Blindly, he flung out an elbow and caught Rumlow in the face, eliciting a satisfying _crunch._

The pain stopped immediately.

With his other hand, he thwarted agents from punching him, efficiently jamming their pressure points.

To his left, he detected the faint crackling of the rod and grabbed Rumlow’s wrist before he could shock him again, redirecting it into another agent.

Using his still bound wrist, Steve hauled himself up and executed a split, whacking Rumlow and the agent simultaneously in the chest.

He wasted no time in planting his heels into the wall and pushing until his wrist was free, using the momentum to backflip and land on the ground with a _thud._

He breezed through the last few agents and found himself standing face to face with Rumlow.

“Whoa, big guy,” Rumlow said as held out his shock rods like Steve was a feral animal. “I just want you to know, Cap, this ain't _personal!”_

At his last word, he rammed the rod into Steve’s stomach.

Steve shouted in pain and, through the haze of his mind, knocked the rods out of Rumlow’s hands. The man gave him an _“oh, shit”_ look before he was hauled into the lights overhead.

Steve glared down at the motionless bodies littering the floor, breathing raggedly before saying, “It kind of feels personal.”

With that, he jammed his foot on the edge of his shield and snapped it up like a skateboard. As he pressed a button on the elevator’s panel, he brought his shield down on the cuff still around his wrist.

The elevator doors opened to a team of STRIKE agents with their guns fully trained on him.

“Drop the shield!” One of the agents barked. “Put your hands in the air!”

Instead of doing as he was told, Steve spun in a circle and snapped the elevator cords with his shield.

He ducked down and clung onto the support bars for dear life, stomach plummeting along with the elevator.

When the ground stopped shaking with a _clang,_ Steve straightened up and pried open the doors, only to see more STRIKE agents marching towards him.

He closed the doors.

With nowhere else to go, Steve defenestrated himself and vaulted seven stories below.

—

He landed in a heap of glass shards, his shield absorbing most of the impact.

Steve groaned at the dull throbbing in his bones, his muscles sore from all the shocks he’d endured.

He was about to get to his feet when he heard loud crunching underfoot. A massive figure blocked out the sun like an eclipse, obscuring him in shadow.

“Steven?” A familiar voice rumbled as the figure kneeled down to his level, manifesting in his line of sight. “Is that you?”

Later, he would question why Thor was _here_ of all places. But for now, he smiled. 

And then winced because there were bits of glass stuck to the side of his mouth. “Ow. Hey, buddy. Just felt like taking a nap right here.”

“You deserve one,” Thor said as he took in Steve’s disheveled state. He must’ve looked like an absolute mess. His eyes trailed upwards, following Steve’s path down. “Did you come from up there?”

“Yeah. There wasn’t any other way out.”

“So you believed jumping out of an elevator was your best option,” Thor said, like _he_ wasn’t perfectly capable of doing that.

“Yup,” Steve confirmed, placing extra emphasis on the ‘p.’ “And it worked.”

Thor didn’t say anything for a while.

Steve was about to ask him what was wrong when Thor gingerly held his chin to keep him from moving, stroking a thumb over his mouth to brush away the glass.

_Oh._  Steve’s lips parted of their own volition and he couldn't find a reason to resist, his body sagging against the shield wedged under him.

Thor’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, as if he suddenly realized what he was doing, and snatched his hands away as if he’d been burned.

Steve pushed himself off the ground, holding back disappointment and a flinch when the glass pinched through his gloves.

Thor rose with him, guiding him up by the hand.

“The reason I jumped,” Steve said as he shrugged off Thor’s touch to reattach his shield to his back, “is because I’m being hunted down right now. The team I worked with _just_ yesterday turned out to be my enemy.”

“I understand how that feels.” Thor’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “To discover everything you’ve been told is a lie.” 

“Well. Do you know how it feels to get electrocuted?” Steve joked in an attempt to get Thor to loosen up. 

Much to his surprise, Thor said, “Yes. More times than I’d like.”

”Aren’t you the god of thunder?” Steve was, in every sense of the word, confused.

“I’m not immune to tasers.” Steve wanted to know the story behind Thor getting tased, but didn’t ask.

Thor offered a hand, his palm facing up. “Come. The Widow is looking for you.”

Steve took his hand, and let Thor lead him away from SHIELD’s headquarters to Nat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’ll be really busy for the next few weeks bc i’m a hs senior and ap exams will be the death of me,, 
> 
> if this fic continues into college idk if i’ll have the time to write but i DO want to finish this!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slightly changed the tags!! also, no worries. sam does become falcon later on 
> 
> if you’re interested, my thoughts of endgame are in the link below!! disclaimer: my email was created when i was younger and cringey so do ignore it if you see it gkgkf 
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/17zd5kfg9cGp7V7pjnDmipjk6Sg-uyhZ0GMHFlvx4jXE
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

If there’s one thing he learned from modern disguises, it’s that hats and glasses made you inconspicuous.

Regardless of that notion, Steve internally panicked each time a patron walked by. Without fail, he would hunch his shoulders in an attempt to appear smaller, trying to occupy less space than he already did.  
  
Nat became fed up with him after the tenth hunch. Pressing close to cast the illusion of an affectionate couple, she used the proximity to whisper, “First rule of going on the run is to _act_ _natural_.”  
  
“ _Sorry_ ,” Steve whispered back once there was space between them again. “What’s the second rule?”  
  
“Second is don’t run, walk.” As if to demonstrate, she slowed down a great degree, forcing him to match her pace. “What’re we doing? Running a marathon?”

”We’re on borrowed time,” Steve reminded her as they entered the Apple store, claiming a sleek MacBook before a woman could. The expression on her face was sour as she moved to access another computer.   
  
He was just about to apologize when Nat said, “As soon as we boot up, SHIELD will know exactly where we are. We’ll have about nine minutes from…”  
  
She inserted Nick’s flash drive. “Now.”  
  
“I’ll track the time,” Steve assured her, before turning back to the woman with an apology ready on his—  
  
“By the way, when were you going to tell me you were taken?” Nat asked, and the apology on his tongue dissolved like sugar in hot water.  
  
“What?” Did she read scandalous articles about him? If so, none of them were factual, nor were they credible sources.  
  
Nat’s deft fingers _tap_ _tapped_ across the keyboard. “It would've been nice to know before I tried so hard to play matchmaker.”  
  
“What are you talking about?” Steve mentally prepared speeches to debunk rumors for interviews, then remembered he was a fugitive of SHIELD and quickly dismissed the thought.  
  
“Donald Blake,” Nat stated, providing him a name that held absolutely _zero_ relevance to him.  
  
“Who?” Steve felt like the human embodiment of a question mark.  
  
Nat looked at him for the briefest of seconds, as if she needed to see for herself if he was bluffing. “You really don’t know your own boyfriend’s name?”  
  
_Wait, what?_ “My—my own what?”  
  
Nat sighed like they’d just played competitive charades and lost due to Steve’s ineptitude. “Blue, brown eyes? Looks like a sad homeless guy? Hard to miss.”  
  
Oh! She was talking about Thor. He thought of the owner of that name, waiting patiently in their stolen—sorry, _borrowed_ —truck with the radio on.  
  
Did Thor tell Nat that he was his boyfriend? Or did she just assume that he was?

“We’re not seeing each other.”

”Shame. You two would’ve made a cute couple.”  
  
“I thought you supported me and Thor,” Steve said—and immediately wished he hadn't upon seeing the expression on Nat’s face. “Natasha. Natasha, don’t give me that look.”

The look stopped, but the words didn’t. “You’re not into Blake because you’re into Thor?”

 _They’re the same person,_ Steve itched to say. Instead, he tried to change the subject as subtly as possible. “You said nine minutes. It’s been seven.”  
  
“ _Shhh_.” She shushed him as she zoomed and enhanced a location on the map. Crisis averted. “Relax. Got it.”  
  
‘Wheaton, NJ’ blinked on the screen, giving him pause. Steve stared unblinkingly at the words.  
  
“You know it?”  
  
“I used to.” He shook his head to clear a barrage of thoughts and—unsafely—ejected the flash drive. “Let's go.”

—

As the convertible rumbled past a ‘Welcome to NEW JERSEY’ sign, Nat said, “Alright, I have a question for you. You don’t have to answer it, but if you don’t, it’ll be a yes by default.”

“Shoot.” Steve didn’t like the sound of this. It felt like he was partaking in a deal he was bound to regret.   
  
Nat‘s smile was roguish. “Was that your first kiss since 1945?”  
  
He detected the telltale slide of the back seat as Thor straightened up, suddenly no longer invested in gazing pensively out the window.  
  
Steve flushed at the knowledge that the god was listening attentively. Nat had kissed him to avoid being spotted by Rumlow and his search party; it probably sounded weird out of context for Thor. “That bad, huh?”  
  
“I was just wondering how much practice you’ve had,” Nat clarified, before she playfully nudged him in the side. “I know _someone_ who’d be willing to practice with you.”  
  
Steve jerked the wheel at her preposterous statement, nearly swerving into the opposite lane. “You don’t  _need_ practice.”  
  
“ _Everybody_ needs practice,” She fired back, before shifting in her seat to look properly at Thor. “Back me up here, Blake.”  
  
Thor, the traitor, agreed. “Definitely. You lose your touch after a while.”  
  
Nat turned smugly to Steve. “ _See_?”  
  
Steve regripped the wheel—and what remained of his sanity. “Even _if_ everybody needs practice, I know Thor wouldn’t with me. He‘s already got someone special.”

Either his ears were deceiving him, or what, because he swore he heard Thor make a huffing noise.    
  
Nat, on the other hand, made a pitying noise. “There’s no one special for you, though?”  
  
Steve could feel Thor intently watching him through the rearview mirror. When their eyes met, Thor broke eye contact first.  
  
“Believe it or not,” Steve said as he tried to refocus on the road again, “it's kind of hard to find someone with shared life experience.”  
  
It was then that he noticed how similar he was to past Thor. They were both navigating the 21st century, learning present-day references. They both had leadership experience, and they both endured the hardships of war.  
  
He _really_ should’ve let Nat drive if his thoughts kept wandering elsewhere. He was a hazard on wheels.    
  
“And it’s kind of hard to trust someone when you don't know who that someone really is.”  
  
“Yeah.” Nat realized he was referring to her and fixed him with a quizzical look. “Who do you want me to be?”  
  
Steve finally cracked a smile. “How about a friend?”  
  
“Okay.” Nat laughed lightly and cracked a smile of her own. “Like your good friend Blake?”  
  
In the mirror, Steve noticed that Thor’s eyes were forming small, happy crescents.  
  
“Yeah. Like Blake.”

—

They didn’t gain much from visiting Camp Lehigh.  
  
All they found was Zola preserved in a computer, and information about some type of algorithm.  
  
Shattering Zola’s screen was satisfying.

—

“Is  _he_ your boyfriend?”  
  
Steve rapped the back of his knuckles against Sam’s door, each knock carrying out his vexation. “Sam’s a friend, Nat. Not everyone I meet is my boyfriend.”  
  
Nat waggled her eyebrows as if he’d just said something suggestive. “Oooh, you’re on a first name basis.”  
  
“So are we—” Steve was beginning to point out when the door creaked open, revealing a mystified Sam.  
  
There was a moment of silence as Sam glanced from Steve to Nat, then to Thor and circled back again. “Hey, man.”  
  
Steve made a gesture that read ‘let me handle this,’ before saying, “Sorry about showing up uninvited. Would today be a good day to...find things that make me happy?”  
  
He could feel the looks Nat and Thor were boring into the back of his head, and he promptly ignored them to provide Sam with a pleading smile.  
  
“Sure,” Sam said, even as his tone sounded unsure. He glanced about at Steve’s counterparts. “No problem. Will…?”  
  
Their responses were instantaneous.  
  
“Natasha. I won’t be joining.”  
  
“Blake. I don’t see why not.”  
  
“Alright.” Sam stepped aside to allow the three of them entry. “You want to shower first? No offense but...”  
  
He waved his hand in front of his nose like he was warding off a rancid odor. Steve sniffed curiously at his armpit and blanched.  
  
“Yeah. That would be great.”

—

Steve was in the middle of slipping on a tank top when Thor decided to enter the room.

Freezing mid-motion, Steve said, intelligently, “Uh.”

Thor slapped a palm directly over his eyes. Steve didn’t mention that he could see the small gaps between his fingers. “My apologies. I didn't mean to walk in on you. I should’ve knocked.”  
  
“It’s, um.” Steve finished wiggling on his shirt and willed himself not to blush for the second time that day. “It’s fine. You can look now.”  
  
Thor slowly removed his hand from his eyes and roughly cleared his throat. “Son of Wil is finished preparing activities for us.”  
  
”Thanks for letting me know,” He said as he carefully fit his necklace over his head.  
  
“You still have it,” Thor said in wonder, as if he had expected Steve to discard it or leave it untouched in a forgotten corner of his closet.  
  
“Yeah. It’s a nice gift.” Steve doesn’t think past Thor has ever given him anything, let alone a gift. “Makes me look real charming.”  
  
“The charm is all you,” Thor readily said, and...Steve felt his heart skip a beat. That is medically concerning.  
  
Before he could embarrass himself by saying that he might be suffering from heart palpitations or something, Nat saved him with, “He’s flirting with you, Steve.”  
  
“Are you eavesdropping?” He asked, staring at the wall as if he could see her through it if he looked hard enough.  
  
”...no. I can’t be if I’m a part of the conversation.”  
  
”But you aren’t...?”   
  
“Anyway,” Nat went on like he hadn’t said anything. “Is Sam or Blake helping us intimidate Sitwell later?”  
  
“The only thing Sam’s doing is helping us lay low,” Steve said as he relocated to the living room. Meanwhile, Thor headed straight for the kitchen.  
  
Nat was currently sprawled on the couch, a laptop set on her stomach. She seemed uncomfortably comfortable. “Even if he doesn’t know that?”  
  
“Even if he doesn’t,” Steve confirmed, bracing a forearm on the top of the couch. “He’s a civilian, Nat. I don’t want to rope him into our problems.”  
  
Nat peered over at Thor, who was hungrily tearing open several packets of pop tarts. “What about you, Blake?”  
  
“I’m afraid not,” Thor said, voice muffled by the pastry. “There’s something I need to do.”  
  
“I was hoping you’d say yes. With you around, it feels like having Thor here, but less Shakespeare-y,” Nat said. Luckily, she’d been looking at her screen when Thor and Steve exchanged a frantic look. “I should introduce you sometime.”

“Haha! Let’s not do that,” Steve said, probably _far_ too quickly. “I mean, Thor’s always in space doing business in Asgard and Blake, uh...”  
  
”Is minding my own business on Earth!” Thor contributed, giving Steve an enthusiastic thumbs up.  
  
“I was only kidding,” Nat said, typing something into the laptop. “Go find your happiness. I’ll try to research more on the ghost and the algorithm.”  
  
“Good luck!” Steve bade her, before ushering Thor out to where Sam was in the backyard, pop tart finished or not.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> done with ap exams!! now all i need are finals and i’m free
> 
> i’ll try to update every thursday!! (unrelated to my pseud)
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!! speaking of kudos, thanks for 200+

Sam pitched the baseball dangerously low; low enough to graze the sporadically growing grass.

Steve narrowed his eyes to concentrate on the ball speeding towards him. Adjusting his grip on the steel bat, he waited for the right moment before swinging at full velocity. 

With a resounding _crack_ , the ball sailed over Sam’s head and into the infinite blue. Using his hand as a visor, Steve watched it disappear into the sun, never to be seen again.

Thor was the first to react, tossing down his baseball mitt to pummel the air with his fists in shameless triumph. “We won!”

“Hell yeah we did!” Steve shouted back and flung his bat in a random direction, bounding across the grass for a celebratory high five before it even hit the ground. “Give me five!” 

As soon as their palms collided, Thor laced their fingers together and, with a tug of their joined hands, enveloped Steve into a bone-crushing embrace. “It’s all thanks to you.” 

“It’s all in the swing,” Steve wheezed out like a deflating balloon, before peering over the god’s shoulder to check on Sam. “You alright?” 

“I just got decimated, Cap,” Sam dully intoned as he half-heartedly cleaned up the equipment. “Don’t you think it’s a _little_ unfair that Adonis and god-man get to team up while I get nothing but me?”

“You’re perfectly capable!” Thor reassured him, thrusting out an arm for extra emphasis. It was the only warning Sam got before he was also pulled into the hug. “You even got a point or two!” 

“Yeah. 1-49,” Sam deadpanned, although he didn’t attempt to break out of the group hug. “And that’s only because you felt bad for me.” 

“We can do something else, if you want,” Steve suggested when Thor released them, silently mourning the loss of contact.

“It’s not about what I want,” Sam said as he forcibly shoved the metal bat into a bag. “It’s about what _you_ want.” 

Steve had the faintest inkling that Sam wanted to stop. “Let’s call it quits, then.”

“Fine by me,” Sam said, and his dampened mood vanished as if it were never there. “So what’s next? We’ve already tried badminton.”

That had been hectic. Steve and Thor had gotten a little _too_ competitive; now all the rackets had holes in them.

“And poetry,” Steve added on, internally cringing at the memory.

That had _also_ proven to be disastrous. Thor wrote something along the lines of ‘pain is inevitable’ and ‘my failure remains with me until my demise,’ resulting in the activity ending early. 

“We should attempt to paint,” Thor said with such unwavering confidence that it sounded more like a command than a suggestion.

“I’d like that.” Steve flopped down and invitingly patted the space next to him. “You know, I couldn’t afford any paint back then.” 

“And now you buy paint like crazy,” Sam joked as he slid open the screen door, disappearing into his house in pursuit of the supplies. 

“I actually haven’t been drawing or painting much lately,” Steve said to Thor, resting on the palms of his hands and smiling as the god mirrored his pose. Their fingers brushed ever-so-slightly, and his smile turned bashful.

“That’s a shame,” Thor said as he observed a dove flitting about in the branches, its dainty head tilting this way and that to coo a lovely melody. “You usually enjoy drawing.” 

“Usually?” Steve repeated, idly plucking at stalks of grass to further his thinking. Did that mean he drew more in the future? And did that also mean he had inspiration to draw again? “What do I like to draw?”

Thor was quiet for a long while, as if he were debating whether or not to tell him. “Friends. Dogs, mostly. And...me.”

“Huh,” Steve said when the dove’s song reached its end. “The first two I get. Why aren’t you included in friends?” 

Thor opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the screen door slid open and out walked Sam in new clothes with an armful of items.

“Change of plans,” Sam said as he set down the load near Steve. If he noticed how close they were sitting, he didn’t bother mentioning it. “I’m needed at the VA.”

“That’s understandable.” Steve picked up a paint bottle and rotated it in his hand to better read the label. Acrylic. Nice. “Do you want us to leave?” 

“I was thinking of trusting you with my house,” Sam said, vaguely gesturing at his humble abode. “I’m hoping it’s not ashes by the time I get back.” 

“Not to worry. We’ll defend it with our lives,” Thor declared in such a serious tone that Steve didn’t know if he was joking or not. 

Eventually, Sam departed, leaving Steve, Thor, and Nat to their own devices.

“What are you gonna make?” Steve asked while he flicked the cap open and squeezed a considerate amount of paint onto a paper plate for the both of them. 

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Thor cheekily said as he lifted the glass of water to his lips, only to dejectedly place it back down when Steve shook his head. “I’m dehydrated, Steven.” 

“It’s for cleaning the brushes,” Steve elucidated, dipping the bristles into the cup and tapping out the excess against the rim to demonstrate. “Drink from the hose or something.”

“Okay.” Thor seized the garden hose by the nozzle and reached for its valves. It was then that Steve realized the god had taken his words seriously. 

“ _Thor, no._ ” Steve blocked his access to the hose bib with his hand—the hand that was still holding onto the plate of paint. 

They stared at Thor’s now multicolored fingers.

“Sorry—” Steve was beginning to apologize when _Thor decided to use Steve’s face as a napkin_.

“Now we’re even,” Thor said with a pleased expression, sitting back to admire his handiwork. “You’re a work of art.” 

Steve hoped that enough paint was smeared on his cheeks to obscure his blush. Grabbing his paintbrush, he flicked electric blue paint at Thor. “ _Now_ we’re even.”

Thor tipped back his head and barked out a hearty laugh. 

Dappled in golden sunlight, happiness, and flecks of paint, Steve thought he looked good.

—

Somewhere between painting Thor’s eyes and trying not to get caught in the act, Steve had fallen asleep.

The lullabies of the birds, the feeling of a rough tree trunk against his back, and Thor’s soothing presence was the perfect recipe to tuckering him out.  

As his senses sharpened, Steve found that there was an oddly comforting weight on his lap. Expecting to see his art piece, he shifted his gaze down and—oookay. So this was happening. 

Thor was using his thighs as a pillow.

Steve gnawed at his bottom lip, awkwardly twitching his fingers as he contemplated on how to move Thor without disturbing him.

The thing was...he _didn’t_ want to disturb Thor. He looked so peaceful; the hard stress lines that were usually etched onto his scarred face were smoothed out with sleep.

He didn’t know what the hell compelled him to, but he carded a hand through Thor’s coarse hair. 

Thor didn’t stir, save for a barely perceptible flutter of his eyelashes. Slowly, Steve repeated the action until his hand started to cramp up. 

He slowly inched his fingers away and was about to move out from under Thor when he heard the god make a disgruntled grumble.

Steve held stock-still while Thor swiped aimlessly at the air, daring not to move. His breath stuttered when Thor found his hand, manually dragging the appendage down until Steve’s palm came to rest on the top of his head. 

Seemingly complacent with his accomplishment, Thor pressed his cheek harder against Steve’s thigh and stilled once more.

A whole minute or two passed before Steve let out a delirious laugh. Who knew gods enjoyed pats? 

Not one to deny—Thor, at least—he caved in and ran his hand through Thor’s short hair again. “Thor.”

“Mfkgkg.”

He tried calling his name again to see if he could evoke the same reaction, but all Thor did was chuff like a horse.

So Steve resorted to rapidly bouncing his leg.

As soon as his leg moved, Thor made a tiny “no” and tiredly lifted his head to pin Steve with a betrayed look.

“Come on, buddy. I’ve gotta go,” Steve admonished with an apologetic pat, acknowledging Nat at the door with a nod.

“So soon?” Thor inquired as he propped himself up on his elbows, catching Steve’s hand in his and placing a tender kiss to his inner wrist.

“Yeah,” Steve squeaked, feeling heat pool in his stomach and trickle down his spine from the touch. It felt like being licked by flames. 

Nat raised her eyebrows at their situation, and Steve resisted the urge to twist his mouth in annoyance. “Did you need something?” 

“I figured out Sitwell’s location,” She informed him as she held up a tracking device, a corner of her mouth curving upwards. “I was gonna ask if you wanted to come, but it looks like your hands are already full.”

“No, I’ll come. Just gimme a sec,” Steve quickly said, scrubbing at the streaks of paint rapidly drying on his cheeks with the back of his hand.

“Here,” Thor said, handing him a wet paper towel with the corners of his mouth downturned. 

“Thanks,” Steve said once all the paint was removed, rising onto his feet and undulating like a cat. “I’ll see you around.”

“Be safe, Steven,” Thor said with a strange, almost knowing look flickering across his face.

Steve left wondering why an easy interrogation would be dangerous.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> setting up age of ultron early!! it’s happening simultaneously with winter soldier 
> 
> i unintentionally keep mentioning glass ajsjs 
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

To put it simply, Steve’s terrified.

Sitwell’s dead and Nat’s been shot.

The assassin’s hand-to-hand combat was on par with his. He was deadly—all brute force—and moved with the intent to kill.

And his eyes...they were devoid of all emotion. 

They moved in sync, almost like a choreographed dance—except the man stepped out of routine at the very last minute.

Steve was caught off guard, and before he could react, a bionic hand locked around his throat in a vice-like grip.

The man wrenched him close to glare into his eyes. He dug his cybernetic fingers mercilessly into his jugular, and with a whir of his metal arm, flung Steve over the hood of a vehicle.

Steve narrowly avoided getting his face smashed inward, a hole in the concrete where his head previously was. He lunged to his feet to retrieve his shield, hefting it up in the nick of time to block the next relentless punch.

His fist connected, and a sound like a gong rang out, as though it were announcing round two.

They grappled again, falling back into their lethal dance.

By some miracle, Steve found the perfect opportunity to grab the man’s jaw. Summoning every ounce of his strength, he flipped him.

The mask clattered to the ground. Steve whipped his head up and—

The world tilted on its axis. 

“ _Bucky_?” Steve asked incredulously, suspended between joy and anguish. It’s him, it’s _him_. It’s undeniably his best friend.

But there’s no warm recognition in those cold eyes. No bewildered “ _Steve_?” like that time when he’d saved Bucky, strapped to a table.

He stared at him as if he were a stranger, and that somehow hurt more than his punches did.

It’s rubbing salt into the wound when he spat out, “Who the hell is Bucky?” 

“You are,” Steve said, unable to conceal the desperation in his voice. “You are Bucky.”

It’s all over too soon. Nat launched a grenade and Sam literally swooped in from the sky, firing in rapid succession.

Bucky’s long gone when the smoke cleared.

—

Bruce turned ghostly white and went through the five stages of grief in the span of five seconds.

Better than green, Steve surmised.

“Hi, Bruce,” Nat greeted, mustering a weak smile. “I need your help.”

“Natasha?” Bruce was growing paler by the minute, eyes darting between Steve, Nat, and Sam like he was watching an intense tennis match. Steve wondered what was making him so antsy. “What happened?”

“That’s not important right now,” Sam said, and Bruce looked at him like he _just_ realized he was there. “She’s hurt.”

“Look,” Bruce said as he nervously wrung his hands. The action made his spectacles slip down the bridge of his nose. “I would love to help, but I’m not that type of doctor.”

Steve couldn’t help but remark, “Seven PhDs and not one is medical?”

Bruce peered at him over the top of his glasses and drawled in a low voice, “I don’t see you with one.”

“Now’s not the time, boys,” Nat interjected, pressing her hand against the wound like it would stop the steady flow of blood.

“Right. Sorry.” Bruce fidgeted slightly. “I think you should see an _actual_ doctor—”

Suddenly, there was a loud crash in the background, followed by heavy footfalls and Tony yelling, “Use the door, Point Break! Glass is expensive.”

Past Thor stumbled into the hallway like a drunkard, shaking bits of glass from Loki’s scepter. “Glass is abundant in Asgard! I can acquire some if it troubles you.”

Even with a gushing shot wound, Nat still had the energy to nudge him in the ribs and send a pointed look in Thor’s direction.

“You’re making it worse,” Steve chided, steadying her by the shoulders. Her shirt was splotched with more blood than before. “Can she at least sit down?”

“Of course,” Bruce said, shuffling aside to allow them more space into the lab. He looked less anxious now with Thor’s arrival (Steve can relate. He just has that effect on people).

Mindful of her injury, he and Sam guided Nat to a vacant chair and helped ease her into it.

Meanwhile, Bruce dabbed at the perspiration beading on his forehead with a handkerchief. “I just called Dr. Cho. She’ll tend to Natasha as soon as she gets here.”

“Thanks,” Steve said for Nat, who was looking _far_ too ill to speak. Then, to her, “Hang on for a little while longer.”

“Mhmm,” Nat hummed, eyelids drooping. Her gaze drifted somewhere over his head, and whatever she saw made her look more awake. “Thor, six o'clock.”

Steve squared her with a dubious look. He wasn’t going to fall for that old trick again. “Yeah, right—”

“Greetings, my friends!” Thor said— _very_ much on his six.

Steve threw a backwards glance at Nat. She was pretending to sleep, the smile on her face the only indication she wasn’t. _Goddamnit, Nat._

“Hey,” Steve said as he leaned his weight against a table, trying to be suave (emphasis on trying; he almost knocked all the papers off the surface). Ignoring Sam’s snicker, he continued with, “Uh, how’re things on Asgard?”

Thor set the scepter into its holding. “Well, the Lady Jane was harboring the Aether. My mother’s been killed by Dark Elves. Loki sacrificed himself. I no longer wish to rule Asgard.”

“Ouch,” Nat said, so quiet he almost didn’t hear her.

 _Yeah, ouch_. Steve wished future Thor had told him things in advance to avoid potential awkwardness. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Thor clasped a hand to his shoulder like _he_ was the one in need of comforting instead of the other way around. “It is all in good fortune. I gained some insight, at the very least.”

“That’s good, I think.” Steve let his gaze wander and noticed the intricate braid styled into Thor’s hair; blonde wreathed in strands of ebony. “Is that Foster’s?”

Thor lightly touched the braid with a gracious smile. “I see you have taken a liking to my hair. Perhaps one day I will teach you my routine. It is—”

He trailed off, the smile fading as his expression fell into something a little more serious. “It is my brother’s.”

“Yikes.” From Sam. 

This wasn’t going well. Steve tried to change the subject by making a vague gesture towards Loki’s scepter. “What's with the…?”

This time, Bruce answered instead of Thor. “Tony and I are working on a...project. With the Mind Stone. Confidential things.” 

Steve regarded the Stone with a cocked head. “Is it a good idea to mess with that?”

Bruce said, quite reassuringly, “We don’t know.” 

If future Thor wasn’t concerned, then he figured he shouldn’t be, either. “As long as you don’t destroy the world.”

Bruce activated a hologram and swiped with two fingers, watching the image rotate in a swirl of colors. “No, our objective is to protect it.” 

—

Steve found future Thor at the same place after the battle with Loki.

He was standing at the foot of the wreckage, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket. There must’ve been something weighing heavily on his mind because he didn’t even bother to acknowledge Steve’s presence.

When the silence dragged on for too long, Steve asked, “Is this place important to you?”

“Yes.” Thor didn’t elaborate, only kept his gaze fixed on the demolished building with a forlorn look. 

Steve wondered what it used to be, what it could possibly mean to him. He came up with nothing. “There a reason why?” 

Finally, Thor spared him a glance. His eyes were brewing a storm of emotions, as if he couldn’t focus on only one. “I fell in love with my significant other here.”

That made sense. Sentimental attachment. Steve ventured a guess, “Jane?”

To his surprise, Thor said, “No, not Jane.”

“Oh.” That was unexpected. He thought they were inseparable, but love is ephemeral (or whatever teenagers said nowadays). “You ever miss her?”

“Not anymore. I used to very often,” Thor admitted as the violent storm in his eyes quelled with warmth. “But now I have someone else.”

“Do you miss _them_?” Steve inquired, internally wishing he‘d stop asking so many personal questions. He was never like this with anyone else. Was he...jealous? “I know it’s almost been three years since you’ve last seen them.” 

“No, not really.” The corners of Thor’s mouth tugged upwards in a smile like blooming morning gold flowers. “It feels like we aren’t even apart.” 

Steve felt the slightest twinge in his heart, which he promptly ignored. “Do I remind you of them?”

Thor’s eyes suddenly had a mysterious touch to them, dimming in the half-light. “It’s as if you’re the same person.”

Before he could ask for clarification, a couple happened to stroll by. A man had his arm loosely around a woman’s waist, holding her close to whisper something into her ear.

The woman giggled, slapping his shoulder with a grin. She leaned up on her toes for a kiss, but before their lips could touch, she snatched the hat off his head and dashed away with it.

The man laughed loudly, and, with love and endearment clear in his gaze, chased after her.

Their easy affection made Steve’s heart ache. He watched their figures vanish from his line of sight, before saying, “Must be nice, having someone you love.” 

Thor gave him a sidelong glance, reaching out a hand to brush his fingers over Steve’s shoulder. Steve tried not to lean into his touch. “It is.”

“Thinking about taking up Tinder for a while.” Steve slid his phone out from his jeans and wiggled it. “Heard online dating’s not so bad.” 

As if on cue, Nat texted him an address and an ominous message: **Get your ass over here. You won’t believe this.**  

“Message from Tinder?” Thor joked, indicating to his phone with a curt nod. 

Steve smiled tersely. “If only.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first few scenes are pretty short bc steve’s processing them that way!!
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!! thanks for 300+ kudos

Steve couldn’t believe it.

Nick Fury was alive, sitting up in his cot and talking like he hadn’t flatlined. 

He was still wrapping his mind around the fact that Nick wasn’t dead when Agent Hill debriefed them on the mission.

It was relatively simple: breach the Helicarriers and replace the three targeting blades.

The only problem was Bucky.

—

Everything hurt.

Steve couldn’t tell where the pain started or where it ended.

At least four bullets were embedded in his stomach. His eye was swollen shut, and his face was beaten to an unrecognizable pulp.

He ignored it all—even the explosions—to tell Bucky one last thing.

“ _‘Cause I’m with you till the end of the line_.”

—

He was whistling through the air like a bird shot out of the sky.

As he fell, he spent his final moments thinking of Bucky. Then his thoughts went to the Avengers.

Then he found himself thinking of future Thor.

_Who’s gonna help Thor now?_

It’s his last thought before he plunged into the Potomac River, succumbing to the lull of its currents.

— 

Steve felt like death incarnate. It was as though he were one giant bruise being pressed by a petulant child.

The smell of chemicals and antiseptic flooded his senses. He scrunched up his nose and tried to fall back to sleep, but the lights overheard were unpleasant and glaringly bright.

With a small groan, he peeled open his eyes to take in his surroundings. A plasma TV was broadcasting the latest news, the news anchor’s voice urgent yet monotone. 

From his placement on the hospital bed, Steve could see blurry camerawork of a man clad in black, dragging another the colors of the American flag up the banks of a river like a suitcase.

Wait— _he’s_ the suitcase. And the man dragging him is...Bucky?

Steve struggled to sit upright for a closer view...and in the process got tangled in tubes. He yanked at them to free himself, but it only managed to worsen his predicament.

Sam noticed him suffering and, out of pity, switched off the TV. Before he could say anything, however, Steve croaked out, “On your left.”

“Yeah.” Instead of looking annoyed like he expected him to, Sam nodded somewhere off to Steve’s left side. “Look on your left.”

At that, Steve turned his head and...his heart monitor started beeping rapidly. There was a look of utter devastation on future Thor’s face. 

“Thor…” Steve managed to rasp, his hand seeking the other man’s. He did a double take when he realized Nat was there and quickly amended with, “I feel so Thor. Sore.”

Thor chuckled lowly, although his concern didn’t wane. Instead of holding his hand like he wanted him to, Thor brushed the hair from Steve’s burning forehead with a gentle touch, eyes equally soft. “Go to sleep, Steven.”

“I just slept,” Steve mumbled, even though all he wanted to do was hibernate like a bear in winter.

”Being in a coma doesn’t count,” Nat said, shifting her chair an inch closer to prod him in the leg with a foot. He bit back an ‘ow.’ “Don’t worry. We’ll keep you safe.” 

“Okay,” Steve said, too weary to put up an argument. He was seconds from catching some z’s when he spotted an unexpected visitor loitering by the door. “Nick?”

All eyes turned to Nick Fury. Caught red handed, he stopped attempting to sneak and rolled his remaining eye. “Well, _I’m_ not keeping you safe. I’m headed to Europe tonight. Been data-mining HYDRA's files.”

He glanced dramatically out the window, cloak somehow fluttering behind him despite the absence of wind. “Turns out a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I wanted to ask if you'd come.”

“I don’t think I will,” Steve said after fumbling with the controls of his bed to assume the Fowler’s position. It’s the first mission he’s ever declined, and probably the last he’ll ever hear from SHIELD (or whatever was left of it).

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he might’ve seen an approving smile cross Thor’s features.

“How about you, Wilson?” Nick turned to Sam, who looked rather unenthusiastic at obtaining the director’s attention. “Could use a man with your abilities.” 

“Nah. I’m more of a soldier than a spy.”

“Alright.” Nick extended a hand for Sam to shake, then to Steve. Steve grasped it with a poorly concealed wince, and Thor looked slightly bothered. “Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me in my grave.” 

And as quickly as he came, Nick exited with a flourish of his cloak. 

Steve waited until he was out of eyesight before weakly prodding Nat in the leg with a foot. “You’re not going with him?” 

“No. I blew all my covers. Gonna go find a new one.” Nat stood up and revealed that she’d been sitting on a Manila folder the entire time. That couldn’t be comfortable.

“Here’s that thing you asked for.” She carefully laid the file titled ‘дело No. 17’ onto his lap. Steve ran his fingers over the imprinted letters, eyes downcast.

“Will you do me a favor?” She leaned over the bed rails to peck his cheek. “Talk to Thor.”

At the mention of his name, Thor—and Nat, surprisingly—smiled. It felt like they were in on a secret he wasn’t partaking in.

As Nat’s footsteps receded, Steve lifted the cover. He stared at the faded image of a youthful Bucky, swallowing around the hard lump in his throat.

“You're going after him?” Sam asked when Steve didn’t do or say anything but stare for a long, long time.

Steve shut the file and his eyes, as though he were trying to block out the world. “You don't have to go with me.”

“I know. When do we start?”

Steve reopened his eyes, bolting up with the intention of jumping out of bed. “Now.”

“After you rest,” Thor said insistently, pressing the down arrow on the controls until Steve was in a supine position. Damn.

“Fine.” Steve had no choice but to close his eyes, lest he wanted to stare up into the fluorescent lights. “After I rest.”

And as he drifted off, he thought he felt lips brush against his temple.

—

When he awoke, the first thing Steve heard was muffled snoring. 

He cracked open his eyes to investigate, surveying the moon-lit room to pinpoint the source. Eventually, his gaze landed on Thor.

He was casted in faint starlight, cheek resting on Steve’s stomach and neck craned at an uncomfortable angle. He looked young—innocuous—like he hadn’t experienced the horrors of the world.

Steve wanted nothing more than to hold him in his arms until the universe left him alone. 

It was then that Steve realized the snoring had stopped.

Ah, Christ. He probably looked like a creep watching Thor sleep, but Thor was too kind to say anything.

“Steven?” Thor murmured as he straightened his posture, rubbing at the crick in his neck. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yeah. I feel great,” Steve said, even when every muscle in his body ached. His brain felt muddled, the anesthesia still not fully worn off. “Did you stay the entire night?”

Either it was the lack of lighting, or what, because Thor’s cheeks were suddenly a pink color. “Well, I did leave _once_ to use the restroom.”

“So it’s a no,” Steve played along, trying (and failing) to hide an amused smile. “I thought you would’ve left for the snack machine or something.” 

“I wouldn’t leave you for anything,” Thor said, and _wow_ , what a declaration of fidelity. “You’re my past, my present, and my future. You’re everything to me.”

“Jesus,” was all Steve could think to say, too thunderstruck to form a more coherent response.

”Not Jesus,” Thor said, his smile reminiscent of a crescent moon. Steve laughed quietly, more a surprised exhale of breath than a laugh. “You, Steven.”

Moved, Steve reached out to traipse his fingers over the line of Thor’s jaw in a show of gratitude, beard rough underneath his palm.

Thor’s eyes slipped closed with a happy hum, placing a hand over Steve’s to keep it there.

It was unfair how effortlessly beautiful he looked, both in sunlight _and_ moonlight. Whoever Thor’s significant other was...they were lucky. 

When Thor reopened his eyes, the dimness of the room seemed to enhance their hue.

Holding his gaze, Thor gently cupped the back of Steve’s head like he was afraid of hurting him. Slowly, as if to provide him time to pull away, Thor drew him forward until their foreheads touched.

Steve’s heart was racing—and his heart monitor was a goddamn traitor. 

Thor took Steve’s other hand with a benevolent smile and pressed it to the broad expanse of his chest. At Steve’s puzzled expression, he merely said, “I feel the same way.”

Under his splayed fingers, Thor’s heart was thundering like it was ready to burst out and his hand was the only thing containing it.

This was too intimate. This was a tender moment that two companions shouldn’t be sharing. Yet Steve couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

They lingered there for a while, forehead-to-forehead, until Steve had to pull away before the yearning became too unbearable.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> officially starting age of ultron!! 
> 
> do you guys mind if i update this fic both mondays and thursdays?? i want to finish before college ajdjd
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

“Shit!” Steve cursed, veering sharply on his motorcycle to dodge a projectile and quickly adjusting course once the dust settled.

“Yeah, shit,” Clint agreed, ducking down the exact moment the tree trunk behind him exploded in a shower of splinters. “You good?”

“Just experiencing a little resistance,” Steve said before he revved the engine and, gripping the handles, incorporated his whole body weight into tossing his bike.

The tank erupted into flames. Steve used the commotion to duck into the clearing where past Thor was wreaking havoc on HYDRA agents.

Another tank rolled into view, bringing along a new wave of soldiers.

“Looks like they are lining up.” Thor turned to Steve, readying Mjolnir in his hand. “Just like we practiced?”

“Yep.” Steve readied his shield, bracing himself for impact. “Just like we practiced.”

With that, Thor slammed his hammer against Steve's shield. A sonic wave reverberated throughout the clearing, knocking their opponents down like dominoes.

“Nice!” Steve raised his hand for a high five. Somehow, Thor mistranslated it as a fist bump. His fist awkwardly met Steve’s palm. “Close enough.”

Just then, Clint entered the vicinity, bow drawn and boredom written across his face. “How much longer before—”

All of a sudden, the spy was bowled over, tumbling down a stretch of hill in a flurry of flailing limbs.

“Clint!” Nat hurried to his side, face contorted with worry as she evaluated the damage.

“What’s going on—” Steve started to say when something flashed past him. He found himself flipping like his motorcycle and barely managed to stick the landing, the ground slippery with snow.

 _So_ that’s _what’s going on_. “We have an enhanced in the field.”

“The enhanced?” Thor prompted as he sidestepped his hammer, effortlessly striking down another HYDRA agent.

“He's a blur.” Steve surveyed their surroundings like he could spot the unusually fast enemy with his naked eye. “Never seen anything like it.”

“Clint's hit pretty bad, guys,” Nat reminded them via the intercoms. Her voice was tight with concern. “We're gonna need evac.”

“I can get Barton to the jet,” Thor replied. “The sooner we are gone, the better. The rest of you take down the base.”

Steve gave a curt nod. “Copy that.”

“ _Rogers_ that,” Tony said. Even if he couldn’t see him, Steve knew the engineer was wearing a shit-eating grin.

Heaving a resigned sigh, Steve bowed his head in defeat.

—

Steve exhaled, slow and deliberate, watching his breath mist and swirl into the sky.

The operation had gone swimmingly. Clint was well on his way to recovery, and Tony was planning a party to celebrate.

Everything was going well for once—everything except his search for Bucky.

Suddenly, a heavy weight settled onto the breadth of his shoulders, blanketing him from the relentless weather.

He looked up in time to see future Thor drop his hands away, his smile warmer than any fire he’d felt in his lifetime.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Thor said, reclining on the wall Steve was leaning against and huddling close to share his body heat.

“Am I that predictable?” Steve asked, drawing Thor’s jacket tighter around himself.

“No,” Thor said, parting his blue-tinged lips to release a small puff of air. “You’re full of surprises.”

No kidding. Steve was surprised at his desire to lean up on his toes and steal a kiss or two until those lips returned to their natural color.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here with me,” Steve said sincerely, diverting his gaze to the icicles forming overhead. 

“And I’m glad I found you,” Thor affirmed, curling his arm around Steve’s frame. He let out another cloud of breath, chest heaving with the motion, before he asked, “Steven, are you alright?”  

“Yeah.” Steve returned his gaze to Thor, perplexed. “Why?”

“You left without informing anyone,” Thor explained, his eyebrows pinching together. Steve wanted to smooth the crease between his eyes with his thumb. “Are you unwell?” 

“I’m fine,” Steve assured him with a, hopefully, convincing smile. “Just needed some fresh air.”

Thor quirked a skeptical brow at him, the small rift in his skin disappearing with the movement. “Far from the tower?”

“The air’s better out here,” Steve said. To demonstrate further, he inhaled deeply, held the crisp air in his lungs for a second, and then exhaled through his mouth with a “ _haaah_.”

“I suppose so.” Thor seemed doubtful, but didn’t try to dispute him. “I‘m sorry you feel the need to lie to me, Steven.”

“Is it a bad time to mention that I’m freezing cold?” Steve asked in an attempt to change the subject, rubbing at his elbows for added effect. “My hands are practically blocks of ice.”

“Are they?” Thor slowly retracted his arm from around Steve and slightly dipped his gaze before meeting Steve’s again. “Then let me warm them up for you.”

“Let you _what_?” Steve echoed, wondering if his ears were beginning to fail him. He gawked as Thor took his hands between his own, handling them like they were fragile. “Oh.”

“Yes. Oh,” Thor teased, interlocking their fingers and filling in the empty spaces until the heat of their palms touched. He squeezed once, twice, as if to wring out the cold, before lifting their joined hands to blow hot air over them. 

Steve felt like he was going to melt into a puddle. 

“There,” Thor said, brushing a thumb over Steve’s knuckles and causing sparks to tingle in his fingertips. “All better now.” 

“Thanks. I can feel my hands again,” Steve joked, wiggling his fingers in Thor’s loose grasp and eliciting a jubilant laugh. It made his heart flutter, like the iridescent wings of a butterfly. 

“It’d be a shame to lose your fingers.” Thor tilted their joined hands to better inspect Steve’s hands. “They’re beautiful.”

“Yeah. I kinda need them to function,” Steve said, untangling their fingers to keep his emotions in order. To distract himself from the overwhelming surge of feelings, he chirped, “Hey! It’s snowing. I haven’t seen snow in ages.”

“Really? Why don’t you take a closer look?” Thor asked with a note of foreboding. And before he knew it, a ball of snow whopped him in the shoulder.

Steve whirled around to confront the culprit. Thor was grinning broadly, bouncing a snowball in the palm of his hand. “Got you!” 

“Oh, it’s _on_ ,” Steve said, scooping up snow and packing it into a compact ball. He threw it at the same moment Thor did, and their snowballs exploded in a spray of icy fragments. 

Despite being pelted by a volley of snowballs, Thor bursted out into raucous laughter, face as bright as the landscape. He dodged the next barrage and stooped down to gather snow into his arms. 

It took Steve a second to realize what he was doing.

“Thor, no!” Steve squawked as Thor charged at him instead of assailing him with snowballs. He tried to evade him, but to no avail—he was mercilessly swept into a cold, snowy embrace. 

Steve lost his balance, and they toppled over in a heap of laughter.

“I won!” Thor declared, beaming down at him with eyes shining like the snow. Powdery snow clung to his hair and torso; Steve swept it off with his numb fingers. “Do I get a prize?”

“Yeah. Here you go.” Before he could chicken out, Steve leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Thor’s mouth. Thor stilled above him, eyes wide with surprise. 

“Steven?” Thor breathed, voice hesitant yet hopeful. He looked like he was having trouble with articulating his thoughts. “Do you—are you—”

With perfect timing, his phone pinged. Steve considered chucking the device but thought better of it and viewed the new message from Tony.

**Capsicle! A little help here? Remember those enhanced people? They ambushed us.**

“Aw, crap.” Steve jolted into an upright position, forcing Thor to follow his movement. At the curiosity in Thor’s countenance, Steve showed him the screen. “Gotta go save them.”

“I think I remember this.” Thor helped him to his feet, wrapping his jacket around Steve and dusting the snow off Steve’s shoulders (which took more time than necessary). “Be careful.”

“Will do.” He was about to say something (maybe apologize) about the partial kiss when he received another message. 

**And we might’ve accidentally created a genocidal robot. LOL**

This was going to be a pain in the ass.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can’t remember much about age of ultron’s plot so i’m just free styling at this point 
> 
> i’m on my way to graduation!! AND it’s pride month?? we stay winning
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

The last thing Steve saw were tendrils of scarlet red curling in his vision before hot-white pain seared through his brain.

Suddenly, he was transported to a 1940's dance hall, inundated with sharp laughter and blinding camera flashes. He swiveled to avoid the paths of dancing couples, gravitating towards the center of the dance floor.

There was a familiar figure waiting for him, similar to that in his dreams; except _he_ was the one seeking her out, instead of the other way around.

Peggy was, as always, ethereal. She smiled when he finally reached her, and when she spoke, her voice carried easily over the crowd. “Are you ready for our dance?”

Steve tried to respond, but his tongue felt heavy and sandpapery.

“The war’s over, Steve.” She lightly touched his shoulder, and he felt old flames start to rekindle inside of him. “We can go home. Imagine it!”

But he couldn’t imagine it; he didn’t want to. He was still fighting a war, and he already had a home—even _if_ the Avengers Tower was ugly.

Steve pivoted back around and discovered that the dance hall had gone silent. When Peggy spoke again, her voice was warped and morphed into...Thor’s?

“Steven!” Thor was calling, jerking him back to reality. The dance hall dissolved, and he was greeted by a face full of future Thor (not that he was complaining).

“Thor?” Steve groaned, rubbing at the throbbing sensation in his noggin with a hand. “Agh, my head.” 

“Yes, it’s me.” Thor’s shoulders sagged with relief as he guided Steve out the building, a hand clasped to his arm and hip. “I thought I told you to be careful.”

“Sorry I don’t have eyes in the back of my head,” Steve retorted, before he realized Thor was preparing for flight (didn’t he need his hammer for that?). “Wait, where’re we going?”

Apparently, Thor didn’t need his hammer for that. He launched into the air, carrying Steve up by the hand. “To a safe house with the others.”

—

The safe house turned out to be a farm.

Clint had...a secret family?

“Gentlemen!” Clint said, making a grand gesture with his hand to address his audience. Steve briefly wondered why Nat was excluded. “This is Laura, and my kids Cooper and Lila.”

Steve awkwardly hooked his thumbs into the clasp of his belt. “Sorry for barging in on you.”

He heard a dull crunch and glanced down to see that past Thor had stepped on LEGO blocks. The god squared him with a look, before sweeping the toys underneath a table with his boot.

“Anyone else want to come clean? Mention that they have a secret wife and kids?” Tony asked, glancing randomly about the room with an appraising look. “Husband, cousins, relatives?”

Nat—and Clint, for some odd reason—looked expectantly at Steve.

Just then, the toaster dinged and startled every occupant in the house. Thor seemed unsettled the most—enough that he abruptly ducked out of the room into the driveway.

“Thor?” Steve asked, immediately following after him. He stopped at the top of the stairs, uncertain of whether or not to join him on the front lawn. 

“I saw something in that dream,” Thor elucidated, turning slightly at his name. His arm was poised as a precursor to flying. “I need answers. I will not find them here.” 

Without waiting for a response, Thor rapidly spun his hammer and took off, leaving Steve with a dejected feeling in his stomach. 

—

“It’s _freezing_ out here.” Tony vigorously rubbed his hands together, attempting to warm himself with the friction.

Steve shrugged on future Thor’s jacket, before hacking at another log. He easily split it in one motion (much to Tony’s dismay). “I’d be worried if it wasn’t.” 

Tony picked up his axe and swung down, working at a pace slower than he was. “Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?”

“Sometimes my teammates don’t tell me things.” Steve threw a meaningful glance at Clint, who was playing with his children on the porch. “I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception.”

Tony nodded. “Yeah, give him time.”

Silence fell between them, the only sound the chopping of wood. It lasted for about only three seconds before Tony said, “You know, whenever we talk about Thor, you get this...look.”

Steve paused, the hatchet stopped mid motion. “What do you mean?”

“Think of it as like a constipation of emotions,” Tony said, twisting his face to imitate the supposed look. “Like someone took the last doughnut with red, white, and blue sprinkles. Oh, by the way, what did you see in your dream?”

“Not _Thor_ ,” Steve grunted as he tore apart a log with his bare hands to transfer his feelings of frustration. “If that’s what you’re thinking.” 

“Wow. Okay,” Tony said after he picked up his jaw from the ground. “Speaking of thinking, I was wondering if we could somehow combat against the Maximoff kid’s sorcery by wearing helmets.”

“No, I know it won’t work.” Steve bent down to organize his cleaved logs, sorting them into neat stacks. “I was already wearing a helmet when she did her magic trick.” 

“Damn.” Tony rearranged _his_ pile of logs into a chair, taking a moment to watch him work. “And do you think we can defeat Ultron?”

“Yeah, but not with helmets.” Steve finished the task and extended a hand for Tony to take. The latter merely stared at the offered appendage like it was an explosive. “Together.” 

Tony looked at him like he’d just grown three heads. “But what about that, up there? That's the end game. We'll lose.”

Steve smiled. “And we’ll do that together too.”

“Oh, no. We’re screwed,” Tony said in exasperation, and grasped Steve’s hand anyway. 

—

Steve was tucked into his sleeping bag, listening to the crackles of burning firewood when he heard quiet footsteps approaching.

That couldn’t be any of the Avengers. Clint was upstairs with his family; everyone else was either settled around him on couches, or in sleeping bags.

Steve tensed, coiling like a rattlesnake. He was seconds from striking when the shadowy figure whispered, “Steven? Are you awake?”

“Thor?” Steve squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Sure enough, future Thor was kneeling beside him, the firelight flickering across his face. “What…? How’d you get in?”

“I have a spare key,” Thor said, opening his palm to reveal a silver key. “Barton was kind enough to house me ever since I first found you.”

So _that’s_ where Thor’s been this entire time.  

“Sorry. We kinda took over your space,” Steve apologized, referring to all the sleeping forms surrounding him. “Feel free to, uh, join me if you want. There’s a lot of room in this sleeping bag.”

“I’d be glad to,” Thor said almost readily, sliding under the covers and settling beside him. He was cold to the touch, and the contrast with the heat Steve had accumulated was pleasantly dizzying.

There was a respectable width kept between them, but if Steve shifted _just_ a little, he could close the distance if he wanted to.

 _Not_ that he wanted to. It was, simply, a fleeting thought. Like the way Thor was currently looking at him with his eyes hooded and darkening with each passing second? Wistful thinking.

The glowing embers of the fire accentuated the scarring around Thor’s eye. The marred skin was jagged, as if someone had taken a knife and run it down the god’s face.

Before he could stop himself, Steve carefully touched the ridge of the scar with his fingertips, gauging his face for any signs of discomfort. “Does it hurt?”

Thor tilted his head until he kissed Steve’s fingers, his lips lifting up into a smile. “No, not anymore.”

The longing in his heart was so dense that he had to pause to tamp down the want rising in his chest before asking, “What happened?”

“It’s just a little sibling dispute,” Thor said with a head shake in dismissal, even as melancholy stole over his features. “My sister stabbed me in the eye. I was given a new one by a sweet rabbit.”

Each uttered word was more outlandish than the last. Steve could only stare owlishly at him, unsure of how to offer consolation. “What?”

Thor huffed out a small laugh at his expression, breath hot and fanning over Steve’s face. “That’s a story for another day.”

“For now, let’s rest.” Thor sidled closer until he could press a kiss to Steve’s forehead. Steve’s migraine miraculously vanished. “Sweet dreams, my dear.”

Steve mumbled a ‘night’ and fell asleep to the sound of Thor’s steady breathing, intermingling with the hissing of fire. 

—

When he awoke, Thor wasn’t there anymore.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did i just combine a farmers market and a flea market?? yes, yes i did
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

“Pancakes or waffles?” Laura asked, indicating to the bowl of batter with her silicone spatula.

Steve popped a blueberry into his mouth, humming as the fruit bursted and coated his tongue in tartness. “Toast.”

“That wasn’t even an option.” Clint dropped two slices of bread into the toaster before whirling to Steve with realization dawning in his eyes. “Wait, is this about yesterday? When the toaster scared Thor away?”

“I think you’re jumping to conclusions, honey,” Laura said, leaning over the counter to kiss Clint. She was about to turn back to her pancakes when she seemed to remember something and added, “Oh, and Steve?”

Steve straightened slightly at his name. “Yeah?”

“I forgot to mention that all your friends are back at the tower.” She flipped a pancake, and it landed with a sizzle. “They didn’t want to wake you up.”

“That’s nice of them.” Steve tossed another blueberry into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “And to think they were pulling a prank on me.”

“We would have woken you up _with_ a prank,” Clint retorted, shooting a blueberry into Steve’s mouth. Steve almost choked and tried to pass it off as a cough.

He and Clint took turns flinging blueberries at each other until Laura asked amidst the miniature battle, “Honey? Do you mind running out to get more milk? I used it for the pancake-waffles.”

“I’ll do it,” Steve offered, already pushing back his stool and zipping up Thor’s jacket. “You two keep...fondue-ing.”

As the front door shut behind him, he thought he heard Clint say, “I don’t think he knows what fondue means.”

—

Despite the snow, the farmers market was bustling and thriving with energy.

Steve walked aimlessly around with jars of milk in his hand, viewing the myriad of products and pausing occasionally at goods that piqued his interest.

A rack of inexpensive flip phones snagged his attention, the signs enlarged to advertise the cheap price. There were optional accessories available, each vibrant and also reasonably priced.

Steve selected a keychain at random, turning it in his hand and listening to the cartoonish white cat jangle. It was cute, with a red bow and a yellow button nose. 

 _What is it called again_? He stared down at the cat, as if the answer laid in its beady black eyes. _Halo Kitty_? _Hello Cat_?

He nearly dropped the keychain when strong arms unexpectedly wrapped around his waist. A solid chest pressed against his back, encasing him in warmth.

“Thor?” Steve automatically asked, shifting in his arms to cast a glance behind him. The god was already smiling. Steve found that he was smiling, too. “What’re you doing here?”

“Finding something valuable,” Future Thor said, hooking his chin on Steve’s shoulder. Steve’s happiness at the simple gesture was so profound that it was almost frightening. “I think I found what I was looking for.” 

Steve couldn’t help but give an amused snort as he returned the keychain back to its stand. “Do you always use corny lines on your significant other?”

Thor loosened his hold a notch, but his lips remained close enough to brush against the shell of Steve’s ear. Steve suppressed a shiver. “Yes. I’ll have you know, my significant other adores them.”

As much as it emotionally hurt Steve, he pulled away to face Thor with a lifted eyebrow. “You mean ‘tolerates’ them.”

Thor dramatically placed a hand over his heart in mock pain. The emotion in his eyes was startlingly convincing. “Steven, you wound me.” 

“You’ll get over it,” Steve said, pretending to roll his eyes before motioning for him to follow. “Come on. I’ll buy you something. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“After you, then,” Thor said, taking the opportunity to catch his hand and slyly thread their fingers together. At this point, Steve was unfazed by the god’s innumerable attempts to hold his hand (three years of it and you would be, too). 

It was...nice, for lack of a better word.

As Steve led him to a stall he’d passed earlier, uplifting music played from a stereo. He involuntarily swayed to the beat, bobbing his head along. 

“Do you want to dance?” Steve jerked out of his reverie at the sound of Thor’s voice, throwing a startled glance over his shoulder. Thor was gazing at him with fondness in his eyes, mouth upturning at the corners.

“I don’t know how to,” Steve admitted. He didn’t have a willing partner to practice with, and even if he did, he’d only trample on their feet.

“I can teach you,” Thor said, and before Steve could answer, he was twirled around by the hand to face Thor. Thor’s other hand landed on Steve’s hip, pulling him close, and Steve could feel the heat emanating from Thor through their layers of clothes. “It’s simple, really.”

Steve’s face flared, and _oh_ , Thor was being serious. His voice was steady, contrary to his stomach performing somersaults. “If it were that simple, I would’ve learned ages ago.” 

Thor’s hand slid from his hip to the small of his back, trailing up slowly. Steve’s knees suddenly felt weak. “Maybe you didn’t have an excellent teacher.”

“Teach me, then, if you think you’re so good,” Steve said, like it was a dare rather than a request. He set down the milk jar and placed his hand on Thor’s shoulder, eyes gleaming with a challenge.

A new song was beginning.

Thor directed Steve with encouraging murmurs, and then moved with the tempo. His movements were fluid, always full of confidence. Steve’s were hesitant, faltering when he couldn’t decipher Thor’s next step.

“Follow my lead, Steven,” Thor said with a ever so patient smile. He didn’t even wince when Steve stepped on his toes. “Relax. This is a dance, not a fight.” 

“Gee, I never noticed,” Steve said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Regardless, he willed his body to relax and...that actually helped. 

In no time, Steve started to get the hang of it. They glided across the makeshift dance floor, moving like a flowing river. The world fell away around them, and all Steve could focus on was Thor. 

He didn’t even realize the song had ended, too mesmerized by Thor’s eyes, until Thor kneeled down and kissed the space between Steve’s knuckles. Steve’s breath hitched in his throat. 

Thor peered up at Steve through his lashes, a smile curving his lips against Steve’s hand.

Unbeknownst to Steve, a small crowd had formed around them and erupted into scattered applause when Thor straightened back up. He seemed unaffected by all the attention, his gaze only on Steve. “You’re a natural. I’m honored to dance with you.”

Guh. What a romantic. Steve was about to say something like ‘I’m honored you’re honored’ when he spotted the Maximoff kids amongst the throng of people.

Steve instinctively reached for his shield and...grasped at empty air. Dammit. He must’ve left it at Clint’s place.

He aimed for intimidation and clenched his hands into fists, squaring his shoulders. “What do you want?”

The Maximoff kid looked surprised at being directly addressed, before she quickly recomposed herself. “We don’t want trouble. We...need your help.”

“Depends on what you need help on,” Steve said, stepping in front of Thor to shield him from view (even if he didn’t need protection). “If this is for Ultron, I’m not interested.”

The other Maximoff kid—her brother—scoffed like he’d just suggested him to reenact the entire Shrek movie. “ _For_ Ultron? No, we want to stop him. We’d tell you more, but…”

Right. They were surrounded by civilians _and_ in broad daylight. “Yeah, it’s not a good time right now. Meet me at the Avengers Tower; we’ll talk there.”  

The Maximoff kids looked displeased at his choice of location, but didn’t argue. “Don’t keep us waiting.”

With that, they merged within the sea of people, disappearing from sight.

Steve watched for a second before turning to burrow his face into Thor’s chest, groaning in exasperation. “Why do things always have to come up when I’m with you?”

Thor’s chest rumbled with a chuckle as he hugged Steve tightly, rocking them gently to invisible music. “It gives us more reason to cherish our moments together.”

“I just wish they were longer.” Steve returned the hug, relieved that the emotion weighing his voice was muffled by Thor’s shirt. “I know you can’t stay here forever.”

“I wish I could stay. But my people need me,” Thor said, so softly that Steve thought he’d imagined it. He tilted his head back and immediately wished he hadn’t; Thor’s expression was filled entirely with pain. “The universe needs me. And you do, more than ever.”

“Future me,” Steve guessed, wondering why he hadn’t mentioned his significant other. “The future’s that bad, huh?”

Thor took in a shaky breath, guiding Steve’s head back to his chest with a hand. To comfort Steve, or himself, he didn’t know. “It gave me a future, and now a past, with you. If only the circumstances were different.”

“But they aren’t,” Steve said, watching snowflakes drift down from the dove-gray sky. “I wish I could say something to make the pain go away. All I hope is that you gained something from going back to the past, even if it wasn’t what you were looking for.”

Thor remained quiet for a long while, before saying, “Let’s go home, Steven.”

—

 _Now_ he knew why the others had gone back to the tower; they were creating a new vessel to verse Ultron.

Thus, Vision was born.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize in advance for the bad transition between the battle and the party
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Sokovia was going airborne.

Steve was in the middle of flinging a bot off the edge of the ascending city when past Thor landed nearby on top of a vehicle, demolishing it under his weight. 

“About time.” Steve used his shield to pin down another robot, feeling it struggle underneath as he looked at Thor. “What, were you napping?”

The Asgardian tilted his head at him as he decapitated the robot with a swing of his hammer. It didn’t stand a single chance. “You seem to have an obsession with me and sleeping.” 

Steve’s face felt like it was burning (which was _absolutely_ related to the explosion Thor just initiated). He occupied himself by jabbing another robot in its circuits, watching it malfunction. “Don’t word it like _that_.”

Thor reworded his statement quite considerably. “You appear to have a penchant for mentioning slumber and I.” 

Steve hefted a long sigh, hoping no one was listening in on the comms, before he dug into his pockets for a particular flip phone with a Hello Kitty keychain attached. “I got you a little something. I hope you like it.”

Thor didn’t even _bother_ to glance at it. _So much for liking it_. “Thank you, Captain. I appreciate the sentiment, but I do not use phones.”

“Oh.” Steve felt his spirits sink, and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to crumble like the bridge currently was. He shoved the phone back into his pocket, along with his humiliation. “That’s...fine. I’ll just give it to someone else.”

Before he could embarrass himself even further, Tony’s voice filtered through the comms. Steve never thought he would be glad to hear him. “Hey gang, meet up at the core. If Ultron gets a hand on it, we lose.” 

Thor gave him a brisk nod and whirled his hammer in preparation for flight, disturbing the air around them. Steve tried not to think about how sublime he looked with his cape fluttering behind him. “I will see you there.”

“See you.” Steve watched him leave for what felt like the fiftieth time.

—

Ultron descended into view, the sun reflecting off the surface of his metallic body. Steve had to narrow his eyes against the bright glare.

“Is that the best you can do?!” Past Thor demanded, sweeping out his arms in a gesture that looked like he was embracing the entire world. 

In response, Ultron raised up an arm. At his signal, his army of robots halted in their actions to clamber over to his side. It reminded him of a horde of cockroaches. 

Steve redirected his narrowed gaze to Thor, who suddenly looked like he regretted ever opening his mouth. “You _had_ to ask.”

Ultron, of course, took the opportunity to monologue. “This is the best I can do. This is _exactly_ what I wanted. All of you, against all of me. How could you possibly hope to stop me?”

“Well,” Tony said, powering up his suit with a high pitched noise. “Like the old man said. Together.”

And so, they defeated Ultron together.

—

Steve stared at his reflection in the mirror, unable to recognize the man staring right back. It‘s been a while since he last preened himself.

“I’m not dressing up, Nat,” He said for the nth time that hour, hooking a finger into the bow tie and loosening its hold around his neck. He exhaled a relieved sigh when he could finally breathe again.

“At least try to look presentable.” Nat batted his hand away and, much to his dismay, tightened the accessory once more. “Who can resist Captain America in a tie? Once Thor sees you, he won’t be able to take his eyes off.” 

“Are you forgetting that Thor’s already gotta date?” Steve pulled uncomfortably at the bow tie, but otherwise made no further attempts to undo it. “And even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t notice me, anyway.” 

“Don’t be pessimistic. That’s my job.” Nat dusted the invisible dirt from his shoulders, before taking a full step back to admire her handiwork. “I feel like a proud mother.” 

“Thanks for your help, mom.” Steve coated his fingers in pomade and worked them through his damp hair, patting down the stray strands. “As nice as it is for a ‘congrats for beating Ultron’ party, I don’t get why we have to doll up.” 

Nat uncapped her lipstick, applying a thick layer to her lips. “Tony’s always looking for an excuse to throw a party. This isn’t any different.” 

“Yeah. That’s true.” Steve wiped his hands off on a towel and offered his arm to Nat with a small smile. “Shall we?”

She pretended to curtesy, looping their arms together with a smile of her own. “We shall.” 

—

Tony was swirling his wine like he was preparing to share groundbreaking news. Steve watched a miniature tornado form at the bottom of his glass. 

With a dainty sip from his drink, Tony cleared his throat and announced in a sing-songy voice, “Cap’s got a boyfriend!”

Luckily, Steve and past Thor were his only audience. 

Before he could protest, past Thor threw an arm around him, as if it were the most natural thing in the universe to do. “That is most wonderful news, Captain! I congratulate you on your coupling.” 

“There is nothing to congratulate because I do _not_ ,” Steve insisted, even as his ears burned in embarrassment.

“Oh yeah?” Tony arched an eyebrow, indicating towards Steve with his wine. “That why you stopped using contractions?” 

“I have no—I mean I haven’t.” Steve extricated himself from Thor’s hold. “Besides, Thor doesn’t use contractions. I don’t see anyone telling him off for it.” 

“Please, that’s just the norm for ‘superior’ beings.” Tony drained his glass and swiped another one from the counter. “What’s your excuse?” 

“There is nothing to be ashamed of.” Thor took a swig from his canteen. “I, myself, am romantically involved with the Lady Jane.” 

“And I’m with the ‘Lady Pepper,’” Tony said in an exaggeratedly deep voice that didn’t even remotely resemble Thor. “Seriously, Cap, it’s 2015. No one cares if you have a ‘sir.’ Or a…” 

Tony cut himself off, squinting up at the ceiling like he was trying to find his answer there. Steve and Thor exchanged looks of mutual confusion. “Is there a gender neutral term for titles?”

Sighing at Tony’s antics, Steve held his glass out. Thor refilled it with his canteen. “For the last time, I am _not_ seeing anyone.”

“So who’s this then?” Tony, almost readily, produced a device out of thin air and projected a holographic image of...oh god. “Casual fuck buddy?” 

It was a hologram of future Thor and Steve, sitting on a flight of stairs from 2014. Thor was removing glass from Steve’s glove, Steve’s mouth open as he spoke. 

“No, Jesus, Tony.” Steve tried to deactivate the device, but Tony held it just out of reach. “He’s that friend I told you about.”

Tony gave an understanding ‘ah’ as he dodged another poor swipe. “The one who wanted the watch fixed, right? Still working on it, bee-tee-dubs.” 

“ _Yes_ ,” Steve said through gritted teeth, doubling his efforts. “That one. Have you been holding onto that picture since last year?” 

“Hey, I hear that judgement.” Tony started to _juggle_ the device with his empty glass. He grinned widely when Steve caught the glass and not the gadget. “It’s not my fault you two decided to sit on my doorstep and get in perfect view of the surveillance cameras.” 

“Will you just give me the—” Steve almost choked from inhaling sharply when Tony passed the device for Thor to see. “Tony, don’t—”

“Say,” Tony deliberately interrupted, pointing a finger at future Thor. “Doesn’t he look a little like you, Point Break?”

“How peculiar.” Thor leaned in for a better look, examining the image with a thoughtful stroke of his chin. “He does indeed.” 

Steve’s spine went rigid. He started for the door, ignoring the quizzical calls of his teammates. “I need some fresh air.”

He didn’t slow down, even when Tony yelled, “We’re just messing with you, Capsicle!”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s finally happening!!
> 
> thanks for 400+,, a few away from 420 B) yes i’m immature but also happy birthday to chris evans!! 
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Steve gazed down at his reflection in the water, the pomade failing to keep his hair from falling into his eyes.

He watched as a wayward flower twirled through the air like an elegant ballerina. It pirouetted into the water fountain, rippling the surface and warping his image. 

When the water resettled, his reflection was joined by future Thor’s. Steve lifted his head, and his breath stuttered at how close they were sitting together. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Thor smiled, gently brushing the pesky hair out of Steve’s eyes. His own were soft—as soft as his touch. “You look captivating.” 

Steve snorted in surprise, instinctively shaking the hair back into his eyes. “It’s the pomade. Makes me look nicer, I guess.”

Thor frowned, curling his fingers inward and shoving his newly formed fist into his pocket. “It saddens me. You don’t know how alluring you are, with and without the pomade.” 

Steve was dumbstruck by how forward he was. “You always go around calling people ‘alluring’ like that?”

“No.” Thor leaned startling—but not unwelcomingly—close into his space. He tipped Steve’s face up with a hand under his chin, their noses nearly touching. “Only you.” 

“Thor,” Steve sputtered out, eyes shutting of their own volition when he felt the god’s breath ghost over his lips. “What about your—”

“What is it?” He heard him rumble, swiping the pad of his thumb over the bottom of Steve’s lip. “Do you want me to stop?”

Steve already knew the answer; could feel it in the core of his being. He blindly reached out, tightly fisting the front of Thor’s shirt to anchor him to the spot. “No. God, no.”

And then...and then he sharply lurched backwards, because the boom of a firework frightened him.

His eyes snapped open as he lost his balance, tipping into the fountain with the unpleasant feeling of vertigo twisting his stomach.

Fingers still latched onto his shirt, Steve dragged Thor in with him.

Their combined weight sent water spraying up around them. Steve coughed out a mouthful, foul-tasting on his tongue. He was completely drenched, shirt plastered to his body.

And Thor... 

 _He’s beautiful_ , Steve thought as the specks of water in Thor’s dark hair shimmered beneath the sunlight. His expression was free and open, _happy_ despite being soaked to the skin.

Thor rested his forehead against Steve’s, whole body quaking with laughter at their current predicament.

Steve felt a smile grace his lips and unhooked his fingers from Thor’s soggy shirt, tangling them into Thor’s hair instead. “Kiss me already.” 

“Patience, Steven,” Thor teased, huffing out another laugh before obliging. Slowly, but surely, he tilted Steve’s face up with a crooked finger and finally captured his lips with his.

The water tasted foul, and Steve was cold and miserable, but he didn’t care. Not when Thor hummed happily against his lips, or when his free hand fell to Steve’s back, drawing him closer until their chests were flush. 

The way Thor kissed was worlds different from Peggy. Steve’s kiss with her had been fleeting, feather-soft, chaste.

Thor kissed him as if it was for the last time rather than the first, with the devout passion of a thousand suns and the ferocity of a warrior.

When he opened his eyes again, he found that Thor was watching him with a heated gaze. 

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for the longest time,” Steve murmured, voice scarcely above a whisper. He reached up to gingerly place his hands on Thor’s temples, lightly tracing the distinct patterns in the god’s hair with his thumbs.

“So have I,” Thor said, equally quiet as he leaned into Steve’s touch. They stayed in that position for a while: Steve lovingly caressing Thor’s head while Thor relished in his ministrations.

Despite the happiness suffusing him, Steve swallowed it back to ask, “What about your significant other?” 

“It’s you, Steven.” Thor’s smile rivaled the sun itself, filling him with warmth from his head all the way down to his toes. “It’s always been you.”

Everything suddenly made so much more sense: the way Thor’s touches lingered, the fondness in his smiles, the softening of his eyes, his _verbal_ hints…

“God, I’m an idiot.” Steve allowed Thor to lift him onto the edge of the fountain and buried his face in the god’s shoulder. “I don’t know why you put up with me.”

“Because you make me feel invincible, like I can accomplish anything. You know me, all my flaws and my mistakes, and yet you continue to stay with me. You make me happy, even in dire times, even when I was at my worst—” 

“Okay, _okay_ ,” Steve interrupted with a laugh, kissing a water droplet off of Thor’s cheek. He was rewarded with a tiny smile and a sound that reminded him of a happy tiger. “I get it, you big sap.”

Thor kissed Steve’s cheek in turn—and then wrinkled his nose in disdain as he spat into the fountain. “Bleh. The water tastes absolutely awful.”

 _Wanna make out until the taste goes away_? Steve thought, but didn’t dare ask out loud. It sounded like a cringey line straight out of a romcom. “Wanna grab some new clothes and a couple drinks?”

Thor vigorously shook the water out of his hair like a dog, spraying Steve with droplets. He only grinned when Steve admonished him with a slap to his. “Yes, let’s.” 

—

Steve couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss.

He touched his lips with his fingertips, feeling giddy whenever he remembered how good Thor’s mouth felt against his. It’d been addicting, intoxicating—he couldn’t get enough. 

“What’re you thinking about?” The object of his affections asked, emerging from the bathroom fully dressed in dry, spare clothes. 

He settled beside Steve on the edge of the bed, deliberately pressing their thighs together and moving Steve’s fingers aside to steal a quick kiss. 

 _You_ , Steve thought when they parted, even though he craved nothing more than to clamber into Thor’s lap and kiss him silly. Instead of voicing his inner desires, Steve patted sadly at his stomach. “Been thinking about food. I didn’t get to eat anything at the party.”

“It isn’t over yet.” Thor glanced at the digital clock for reaffirmation. “We can get some before anyone notices.”

“Good idea.” Steve jumped to his feet, leaving behind an imprint on the bed. Hopefully past Thor wouldn’t mind slightly ruffled sheets. “Think there’s any shrimp cocktails left?”

Thor rose to his feet and took Steve’s hand in his, an introspective look in his eyes. Steve wondered what _he_ was thinking about. “Let’s find out.”  

Before they _could_ find out, however, the door to the room suddenly swung open.  

“Captain?” Framed by lamplight stood past Thor, pausing at the doorway. He glanced between Steve and his future self, thoroughly perplexed. “What is the meaning of this?”

Future Thor touched his short hair, eyes distant with nostalgia. Then, as if remembering the dilemma, he schooled his expression into optimism. 

“Sorry for intruding!” Future Thor said, adopting an unconvincing Australian accent. “We thought this was the guest room.” 

Past Thor shifted his gaze to Steve, the question in his eyes still lingering. Steve plastered on a smile, hoping he didn’t seem as nervous as he felt. “Yeah, sorry. We’ll just...go.” 

“Is this the boyfriend Stark was talking about?” Past Thor’s eyes brightened like he was having a _eureka_! moment. “It is a pleasure to meet you, boyfriend of Rogers.”

“Likewise.” Future Thor puffed out his chest in pride as he shook his past self’s hand. His gaze drifted to Mjolnir, and after a long moment, he said, “Not to tell you how to live your life or anything, but you should spend more time with friends and family. Appreciate what you have now before it’s too late.”

He threw his past self a ‘subtle’ wink. “Trust me, I would know. Anyway, we’ll be going now.”

With that, he circled an arm protectively around Steve’s waist and ushered them out the room before past Thor could get a word in edgewise.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for a brief panic attack,,
> 
> this chapter is pretty lengthy (oop) and i can’t write smut so here’s some implied sexual content
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Steve was hoarding an armful of shrimp cocktails when Tony asked excitedly, “Is that who I think it is?” 

Future Thor flashed him a dashing smile and stole one of Steve’s limited number of shrimp (despite the various entrées). “And who do you think I am?”

“Capsicle’s fish in the sea?” Tony, also, nabbed a shrimp and waved it wildly in Steve’s general direction. Sauce splattered everywhere. “The oyster to his world? I’m running out of seafood-related analogies.”

“Yes, I think.” Thor slowly chewed on his prawn with confusion, although the smile he directed to Steve was sure. “I’m whatever Steven wants me to be.”

“Boyfriend’s just fine,” Steve said before Tony could belt out even weirder guesses. “What do fish and oysters have to do with anything?” 

“So you _are_ with Blake!” Nat butt in from the opposite end of the counter, her eyes shining. Whoops. He’d completely forgotten she was serving as the bartender. “I’m so happy for you, Steve.”

“Thanks, Nat,” He said, both to her supplying him with more shrimp _and_ to her genuine happiness.

“Wait, wait, I just realized something,” Clint chimed in from a few couches over, his arms hanging loosely on the back. “Cap’s in new clothes.”

Tony brandished his partially eaten shrimp, a gleam reflecting in his sunglasses. “ _Just_ saying that I saw them sneaking into the bedrooms.”

“Unfortunately, no copulation happened,” Thor disputed before anyone could have inappropriate fantasies, casting a meaningful glance towards Steve.

“We needed new clothes,” Steve tacked on in a rush, feeling his face overheat.  _Unfortunately_? “We accidentally fell in the fountain.”

Nat leaned forward like he’d just shared world breaking news, her eyebrows climbing high on her face. “ _Both_ of you?”

With impeccable timing, past Thor set Mjolnir onto a table with a loud  _thud_ , diverting everyone’s attention from Steve. “We all have had our share of clumsy moments.”

Steve tried not to gape for too long at the Asgardian’s change in appearance. Past Thor was wearing a close fitting red coat, hair drawn back while loose strands framed his face. He was nothing short of attractive, and Steve hated how affected he was. 

“Whatever, man!” Clint said, masterfully twirling a pair of drumsticks. “Try out the hammer, Cap. It’s gotta be a trick. We all took rounds trying to pick it up and _no one_ could.”

“I beg to differ,” Tony said, joining Clint on the couch and purposely hogging most of the space. “I budged it at least, like, a centimeter.” 

“All it did was budge your ego down,” Nat quipped, smiling when Tony childishly stuck his tongue out at her. “Try it, Steve.”

“Yeesh, peer pressure,” Steve joked, before he rolled the sleeves of his shirt up past his elbows and glanced at past Thor. “Can I…?”

Past Thor outstretched a hand towards his hammer with a smile of absolute nonchalance. “Be my guest.”

With his permission, Steve gripped the handle and heaved. Much to his surprise, he felt the hammer let up without much resistance at his pull.

Past Thor’s smile slipped at the emanated creak—and so did Steve’s hands from the hammer.

Steve took a full step back and raised his palms in defeat, shaking his head once before returning to future Thor’s side (who was currently regarding him with a strange look in his eyes).

Meanwhile, past Thor was laughing with relief, taking a satisfied drink of his beer. “Haha! Nothing.”

Tony attempted again with the aid of Rhodes, but to no avail. He slumped back on the couch with a grumble. “The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. ‘Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprint?’” 

“Yes, well that is, uh, that is a very, _very_ interesting theory.” Past Thor stood from his seat and lifted his hammer with ease—an evident contrast to his teammates. “I have a simpler one.” 

He flipped his hammer with an arrogant grin. “You are all not worthy.”

A chorus of ‘really?’ and ‘oh, c’mon’ rose from his audience. Nat, on the other hand, was worryingly calm. “Blake should give it a go.” 

Future Thor immediately declined, shuffling behind the safety of Steve. “Oh, no, that isn’t necessary.” 

All of a sudden, past Thor looked as if he’d been struck across the face. Steve turned to see Vision holding up Mjolnir like it weighed nothing. “Might I ask what the purpose of lifting the hammer is?” 

After a beat of silence, Hill asked with a casual sip from her glass, “So...Vision gets to rule Asgard now?”

—

“Vision doesn’t count,” Tony insisted as they traversed through the passageway in perfect tandem. “He’s artificial intelligence.”

“But if you put the hammer in an _elevator_ …” Steve mimicked the upwards movement of an elevator with his hand. 

“It would still go up,” Tony said, though he glanced towards past Thor for confirmation. He received a low laugh that made heat pool in Steve’s chest.

Steve quirked up his eyebrows and the corners of his mouth as he bumped Thor’s shoulder with his own. “Elevator's not worthy.”

Thor playfully bumped Steve back, before clasping a hand to Tony’s shoulder and lightly shaking him. “I am going to miss these little talks of ours, as well as the room you built me. I apologize for the meat I left to roast in the sunlight. You may have it as a parting gift, if you wish.” 

“No thanks. You know you can use the stove whenever you want, right?” Tony made a face. “Like there aren’t any rules for that. Not that it matters, anyway, since you’ll be leaving.”

The smile dropped from Steve’s face as he remembered the sole reason why they were walking towards the front of the new Avengers Compound; Thor was returning to Asgard. “You really can’t stay?”

Thor assumed a serious face as he stood in the center of the lawn. “I have no choice. The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years; that is not a coincidence.”

“I understand. But I’m gonna miss you, Thor,” Steve said, and the god gave him a smile before he summoned the Bifrost. The only trace left of him was a burned pattern in the lawn.

Steve frowned down at the ground when the grass resettled.

“You’re doing the thing,” Tony said, vaguely and yet very observantly. “You know, where your face gets all sad whenever Thor’s involved.”

“I’m not,” Steve denied, and switched the subject before the engineer had the chance to press him for more. “Here. Use this for emergencies.”

“Huh.” Tony caught the Hello Kitty phone and scrolled through the contacts. ‘Steve :)’ was the only one on it. “Interesting choice of decoration. Capsicle, if you wanted my number, you could’ve just said so.”

“I don’t want your number,” Steve said, even though he already had Tony’s number saved on his phone. He just needed to get the point across. “I want Tho—uh, someone else’s.”

“Your boyfriend’s?” Tony asked, pocketing the phone and, thankfully, failing to catch his mistake. “Oh, speak of the devil and he shall appear! Look who it is.”

Steve turned eagerly to see future Thor approaching them. He threw his arms around Thor’s neck and rose onto the tips of his toes to greet him with a kiss, smiling against his lips.

”I’m thrilled to know you’re equally happy to see me as I am to you,” Thor said when they parted, sliding his arms around Steve’s midsection and kissing the top of his hair.

“Aww,” Tony said, making his presence known again. “You two are so sweet it makes me wanna puke. Blake, ‘the boyfriend with the watch,’ is it?” 

“Indeed it is. Has much progress been made, so far?”

“I’m almost done, actually.” Tony started to delve into the mechanics, gesticulating wildly with his hands. Thor nodded along to his words, occasionally offering some of his own, and as they droned on, Steve felt his eyelids droop.

Thor paused to shift Steve in his hold, whispering quietly into his ear for only him to hear. “You may rest, my love. You’ve had a long day.”

And so Steve did, falling asleep to Thor’s baritone voice.

—

Steve was dreaming about experiencing life as a head of broccoli when he felt the bed dip slightly.

“Thor?” He asked through the haze of sleep, still disoriented from his dream. He blindly reached for his boyfriend’s hand and (after a minute of awkward scuffling) found him in the dark.

He was alarmed to discover that future Thor was shaking uncontrollably.

“—relieved you’re okay,” Thor was mumbling, gripping his hand hard enough to cut off his bloodstream. His eyes were unfocused, distant, like he wasn’t in the present. “He didn’t hurt you. You’re okay.” 

“I’m okay,” Steve said for reassurance, gingerly cradling his cheek with his palm. Thor’s eyes remained unseeing and—much to his dismay—his breathing picked up and started to become ragged. “Hey, no, no, babe. I’m okay.”

Steve’s heart ached when tears sprang in Thor’s eyes, and he carefully brushed them away with his thumb. In the most soothing voice possible, he said, “Thor, concentrate on your breathing. Can you do that for me?”

Thor tightly screwed his eyes shut and gulped in lungfuls of air. Steve didn’t let go of him—even when his breathing evened out and the tears that stained his cheeks had long since dried.

“I’m sorry,” Thor finally said, and _god_ , he sounded so broken. With his eyes still closed, he maneuvered himself until he was lying down facing Steve. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. You shouldn’t have to endure my vulnerable moments.”

“You shouldn’t have to go through them alone,” Steve said, before he draped the covers over their heads to shield him from the outer world, creating their own bubble of safety.

Holding both of Thor’s hands in his, he shifted closer to plant delicate kisses onto Thor’s eyelids. “You don’t have to pretend to be strong with me. I won’t ever judge you.”

In the darkness of the room (and the blanket), his expression was indiscernible, but Steve was still able to hear the unmistakable smile in Thor’s voice. “Thank you, my love. I feel slightly better, now.”

“Good. That’s good.” Steve gently knocked their foreheads together, his own eyes slipping shut. “Did you have a nightmare?” 

“...yes.”

“Wanna talk about it?” 

“...no.” 

“That’s okay.” Steve untangled one of their interlocked hands to form a loose fist, slowly stroking along Thor’s cheek with the back of it. “I won’t make you.”

“It’s only a dream.” Thor turned his face to kiss his hand. Steve was relieved to feel that the god was still smiling. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

“That’s all it really is.” Steve placed a tender kiss to the spot under Thor’s eye. The scarred skin there was rough under his lips. “You can stay, if you want.”

“I do.” Thor began to trail featherlight kisses up the length of Steve’s arm, pausing when he reached the juncture between Steve’s neck and shoulder. “Undeniably so.”

Steve made a breathy sigh when Thor pressed an open mouthed, wet kiss to his skin. To encourage him further, he worked his fingers through Thor’s hair and bared his neck for easier access.

“ _Ow_ , what the hell?” He complained when he felt teeth lightly sink into his skin. What was he, a vampire?

In retaliation, Steve tugged roughly at the strands of Thor’s hair, the action forcing the god to release him. “Did you just _bite_ me?”

Thor laved his tongue over the new mark in apology, although his eyes twinkled with laughter. Evidently, he was enjoying Steve’s reaction. “Yes. You usually like this.”

“I do? I need a talk with future me.” Steve contorted his face and rubbed at the sore spot, before dropping his hand away to ask, “Can you...can you do it again?”

“As many times as you want,” Thor said, and when he nipped at the curve of Steve’s neck again...it felt kinda nice. _Really_ nice, actually.

An embarrassing whine escaped from him as Thor marked the expanse of his throat in purple. Twisting his fingers in the god’s hair, he tried to pull him closer. “I take it back. I get it, I get it.” 

Steve could feel the smile spreading across Thor’s face against his collarbone. His curved lips grazed down Steve’s chest, before ending at the space just above his heart. “Are you sure you don’t want more?”

“I never said _that_.” Steve cupped a hand behind Thor’s head and guided him back to his neck, Steve’s own head falling invitingly to the side in a silent plea. “More, please.” 

“Only because you asked so nicely,” Thor teased, and after about the fourth hickey, Steve lost track of time—and himself—in the sensations. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i led you guys into a false sense of security ajsj 
> 
> this chapter is also long,, damn ma is it that serious 
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Steve couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt _this_ content.

When he woke up, the sight of Thor greeted him. The god was ethereal, swathed in hues of golden sunlight, hair tousled, and he was...also drooling a puddle on his pillow.

Steve thought he should’ve been disgusted, but all he felt was a burst of affection.

For a moment, he pretended he had a normal life. He was just a guy from Brooklyn, waking up next to his snoring boyfriend. No superhero gig, no responsibilities—just regular old Steve and Thor.

He pretended for as long as he could, before he moved to disentangle his limbs from Thor.

Or, at least, he _tried_ to. Thor huffed with displeasure and somehow managed to  _tighten_  his hold around him. It was like being held by an overly affectionate octopus.

“Hey, up and at ‘em,” Steve said hoarsely, receiving an incoherent grumble in response. “Time to get up, babe.”

“No,” Thor whispered, stubbornly pressing Steve into the mattress and forcing him to bear all his weight. Steve bit back a deep throated groan at the full on skin-to-skin contact. “Five more minutes.”

“I guess I won’t give you kisses anymore,” Steve threatened half-heartedly, and _that_ certainly caught Thor’s attention. He immediately rolled off of Steve, his face hilariously distraught.

“I might change my mind if you bring me breakfast,” Steve bargained, purposely darting out his tongue to trace along his swollen bottom lip (abused by Thor’s teeth).

He reveled in the way Thor’s eyes followed the movement. Seduction success.

“Cereal?” Thor asked and dove in for a kiss, only to be physically stopped by Steve’s hand. A frustrated noise reverberated from Thor’s chest, and Steve tried not to smile. “Steven, how cruel of you to deny me joy.”

“Cereal first, then joy,” Steve said, and practically  _giggled_  when Thor made an exaggerated kissing sound against his palm—similar to a  _mwah_. “Thor, you dork.”

“You love it,” Thor insisted, attempting (and failing) to steal a kiss again. “Just one, my love. My sweet. My heart’s desire.”

“That won’t work on me,” Steve said, even as he felt his heart melt at the terms of endearment. He pushed gently at Thor’s pouty face, ignoring his protesting muscles. “Go before I start to regret last night.”

“I, for one, certainly don’t,” Thor said, bringing Steve’s hand to his lips and smacking another _mwah_ to his palm. Then he seamlessly pulled on his clothes and made for the exit, quietly shutting the door after him.

As soon as the door closed, Steve released a sated sigh and laid a hand on the spot Thor was recently in, basking in the warmth that was still lingering in the sheets.

Yeah, he definitely didn’t regret last night. He _did_ regret making Thor leave, though, because in the next moment, FRIDAY filtered in. “Hi, Steve, sorry to interrupt.”

“You’re not interrupting anything.” Steve smiled up at the ceiling, despite knowing that the A.I. couldn’t see him. “Everything okay?”

“A-okay,” FRIDAY responded in her standard chipper tone. “Boss said the watch is ready.”

“ _What_?” Steve asked as a sudden influx of coldness coursed to his stomach. He snapped up into a sitting position, his eyes round with alarm. “Tony’s done?”

“Yep! You can get it whenever. Preferably now.”

“I...thanks.” Steve slowly leaned against the headboard for support. The room was starting to spin. “I’ll give you a heads up.” 

“Okay.”

Steve closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and waited for the inevitable.

He didn’t open them until he felt Thor place a kiss to his lips and a tray onto his lap, hearing the spoon clatter against the side of the ceramic bowl.

“It’s not Cap’n Crunch anymore,” Steve said as he used the spoon to poke one of the squares submerged in milk. “It’s more like Cap’n Soggy now.”

Thor actually chuckled at his stupid joke and nuzzled lovingly at his cheek, beard leaving behind an itchy burn. “I was forced to take the long route back to you. I almost ran into Stark on the way from the kitchen.” 

Speaking of Tony...it reminded him of the circumstances. Steve’s face crumpled, and he tried to hide it with a spoonful of Cap’n Crunch. “Mmm?”

“It’s a miracle no one saw me.” Thor absentmindedly wiped the milk dribbling down Steve’s chin with a thumb. “That, or everyone was deliberately looking the other way.” 

“Mhmm,” Steve said around another mouthful, afraid that if he spoke, he would have to inform Thor of the news. He was well aware that it was selfish, but…

Finally, Thor realized Steve was attempting to eschew conversation and stopped the third spoonful from reaching his mouth, his eyes filled with concern. “Steven, is something wrong?” 

“Nothing’s wrong!” Steve reassured him with a brittle smile. The room was starting to tilt again, and he set the tray aside to avoid accidentally spilling it. “It’s just...Tony’s finished.”

“With…?” Thor prompted, although the hope was apparent in every line of his body. He knew it, and Steve, of course, knew it; it was only a matter of speaking it into existence.

“Your watch,” Steve finished with effort, averting his eyes from the excitement burgeoning on Thor’s countenance. Then, he said to FRIDAY, “Heads up.”

—

“After three years and probably  _hundreds_ of coffee, I figured it out.”

Steve cocked his head at the watch. It was in the exact same condition as when he’d first given it to him. “What’s new about it?”

“That’s the thing.” Tony dropped the watch into Thor’s eager, waiting hands. “Nothing’s new about it. It was just missing fuel, or whatever’s powering it.”

“How did I not realize that?” Thor asked like it was obvious, holding the watch close as if he were expecting it to vanish. “The Particles, yes, the Particles. I didn’t have any excess with me.” 

“Do you know how to get more?” Steve asked, mentally preparing himself for an arduous quest to obtain the said Particles.

“Luckily, I do.” Thor pocketed the watch and began to pace the expanse of the workshop. “My return is dependent on one individual.”

Tony watched his back and forth movements with exaggerated turns of his head. “And who might that be?” 

Thor paused for effect. “Scott Lang.”

“Right,” Tony said, without so much as a single hint of recognition in his voice. “Mind telling me who Scott Lang is?”

Steve was the one to tell him. “Ant Man.”

—

The sky was blue and the clouds were white.

Steve wasn't in the mood for waxing poetic when future Thor was seconds from returning to his normal timeline. 

Scott had excused himself to make tea (most likely sensing the tension in the air), leaving Steve on his own to see Thor off. He had about a billion things to say, but whenever he tried to speak, his throat would close up, and he would just set his jaw. 

Thor was the first to dispel the silence, slinging an arm around Steve’s waist and drawing him close to kiss one of the marks still healing on his neck. “It pains me to part from you.” 

Steve hefted up a shoulder in a half-shrug, trying to ignore how his heart soared at the contact. “It was gonna happen eventually.” 

Undeterred by Steve’s sudden apathy, Thor lightly brushed the hair from Steve’s forehead and pressed a gentle kiss in the center. “Thank you for everything, and especially for making my three years here enjoyable.”

Steve finally caved in and shut his eyes with a wince, as if the touch hurt him. “Just go.”

Thor opened his mouth to respond, but instead of his low timbre, Scott’s happy-go-lucky voice rang out. “Who wants tea!”

They turned their heads in time to see Scott balancing a bunch of cups stacked on top of each other and a steaming teapot in his hands.

Scott looked like he wanted to spontaneously combust on the spot when he realized how inappropriate his timing was. “Oh, gosh, I’m _so_ sorry. You guys were having a moment, and I blew it.”

Steve offered him a polite smile as he withdrew an arm’s length away from Thor. “Scott, it’s okay—”

“No, no, Captain America, Steve, I blew it,” Scott said hastily, the words tumbling nonstop out of his mouth. He gestured urgently to Pym’s lab with a flail, backpedaling one foot at a time. “I’ll just…”

Without further ado, he bolted back indoors. 

Steve laughed wetly, and then rose onto the tips of his toes to kiss Thor on the cheek for the very last time. “Go, Thor. Don’t make it harder than it should be.” 

“Farewell, Steven.” Thor threw one last longing look at him before moving to take his place on the launch pad. He manifested his helmet and was about to activate the watch when—

Light arched high above him, illuminating him in hues of bright blue.

“Thor, look out!” Steve shouted when Thor didn’t move (save for deactivating his helmet). He broke into a sprint, the only thing on his mind the intent to shove Thor out of harm’s way.

He stopped dead in his tracks when Thor calmly held a hand out to him. He was gazing up at the light—not in fear, but in...wonder?

Steve’s mouth dropped as he watched the light transform into his future self.

—

The first thing he noticed was the beard.

The second thing he noticed was that future Steve’s expression was closely-guarded, as though he were expecting the worst. His steady gaze raked the area and briefly held Steve’s.

Like future Thor, he had a weary aura about him.

Future Steve’s eyes flicked to Thor’s, and it was like something had clicked between them. His whole face lit up, and he suddenly appeared ages younger.

“Thor!” Future Steve exclaimed as he literally _jumped_ into Thor’s arms. He laughed delightedly as the god caught him by the waist, spinning him around like he weighed nothing.

Steve felt like he was intruding on such a heartfelt moment, even if that _was_ him.

Future Steve cupped his hands around Thor’s face and kissed him, sweetly, softly, and...Steve was taken aback by how perfectly they fit together.

“I thought—” Future Steve shook his head incredulously, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “When you weren’t there, I thought I lost you.” 

“I’m here.” Thor held him tightly and showered every inch of his skin in adoring kisses. “You have me, beloved. I’m here.”

“You—” Future Steve cut himself off with a wet sniffle, scrubbing at his red-rimmed, teary eyes with the back of his hand. “This is the _second_ time I thought you left for good.”

“I wouldn’t leave you for the world.” Thor gingerly held future Steve’s chin, stroking a thumb over the tear trailing down his face. He was rewarded with a trembly smile (and another loud sniffle). “Not now, not ever.”

Speaking of leaving...should _he_ leave? Steve awkwardly shifted his weight from foot to foot as he debated on what to do. _Now_ he understood how Scott had felt.

Future Steve must’ve taken notice of him because his future self was bounding over in confident strides—a stark contrast to the vulnerable man he’d just witnessed literally milliseconds ago.

“Sorry about that. I am Steve Rogers,” He said when he finally reached Steve, firmly shaking his hand and giving him an easy smile. “But you already knew that.” 

“Also Steve Rogers.” Steve returned his smile, although it wasn’t quite as breezy. “So _you’re_ the significant other Thor’s been telling me about.”

Future Steve threw a glance over his shoulder at Thor, who was watching their entire interaction with _the_ fondest eyes. He wiggled his fingers in a small wave, crow’s feet wrinkling his eyes. “Only the good things, I hope.”  

Thor waved back with a smitten grin. “I could never speak ill about you, my dear.”

Future Steve wasn’t taking any of his bullshit. He placed an indignant hand on his protruded hip, arching a skeptical brow. “You poked fun at me for dropping a fish once, _dear_.”

Thor’s grin turned sheepish, but didn’t falter in its brilliance. “You neglect to say I complimented you right after, _dearest_.”

Steve was beginning to feel like the third wheel again, and future Steve must have a photographic memory or something because he redirected his attention back to his past self. “Can’t believe it took us this long to figure it out, huh?”

“Yeah.” It probably would’ve taken ages for him to realize if Thor hadn’t explicitly told him. “We’re kinda an idiot.”

“ _My_ idiot,” Thor chimed in the background, causing future Steve to dissolve into more heartfelt laughter.

As soon as he recovered, he jerked a thumb in the direction Steve assumed was the ‘future.’ “I’d love to stay and chat, but we have to go. Universe can’t save itself.”

“Right, right.” Steve internally facepalmed at forgetting the current state of affairs. “Good luck with that—to the both of you.” 

“Keep it,” Future Steve said as he joined his lover on the launch pad and provided Steve with a small, rueful smile. “You’re gonna need all the luck you can get.”

With that, their helmets manifested, and they disappeared in a flash of blue.

Steve remained where he was standing for several minutes—as if he were expecting them to reappear on the pad—before he headed inside for some tea.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> civil war whomst?? so the issues are magically resolved by ✨ communication ✨ steve told tony about his parents before siberia and he doesn’t kiss sharon ofc
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

The days started to blend together like one bland smoothie.

And the world continued to rotate as if nothing had ever happened—as if Thor had never left, be it his past or future self.

Time seemed to fly by in a never ending series of the sun rising and setting. There were often days when Steve couldn’t even begin to differentiate between the two.

On one occasion, it rained heavily during a movie marathon. Thunder rolled in the far distance, but all Steve could hear was the blood rushing to his ears.

Before he knew it, he was up and running out the door into the open, fully expecting to see Thor in all his glory. But there were no signs of the god—just rain pattering against the dark pavement.

“Thor,” Steve whispered, as though Thor could hear his call. He stood outside in the pouring rain, his face turned skywards. The droplets clinging to his lashes dripped into his eyes and blurred his vision, but he didn’t dare move. “Come back to me.”

More thunder answered him, and he waited like that would make any goddamn difference. Eventually, he was forced back inside by (an understandably) concerned Nat.

When they were under the safety of a roof again, she smiled rather sadly and tossed a towel over his shoulders. “Sometimes it’s just the weather, Steve.”

Steve dried his face to avoid her pitiful gaze, scrubbing aggressively as if he could somehow wipe away his misery. “I know.”

And he did know. He did.

It was simply hard not to see lightning be accompanied by the man he grew to love.

—

The framed photograph was as timeworn as Peggy.

Steve set it back in its place on her bedside table, committing the image of Peggy and her family to memory. “They have your smile.”

Peggy tried for one, reflecting those of her children’s. “They have their father’s eyes.” 

“You’ve got yourself a beautiful family, Peggy,” Steve complimented, averting his (blue, not like her children's brown) eyes from the picture to focus on her. 

“Thank you, darling.” Peggy paused as her entire frame racked with a harsh cough. “Are you—are you adjusting well?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, refilling her empty glass with a pitcher. The sound of pouring water and clinking ice cubes was soothing to his ears. “Good thing we have the Internet.” 

“Thank you again.” She took a dainty sip from her glass, before asking, “How’s the search for Barnes?”

“He’s been leading us on wild goose chases. I can’t tell if we’re getting closer, or farther...all I know is that we’re getting there.”

“Progress is progress.” With a small smile, Peggy gently took his hand. Her fingers, feeble and brittle, trembled with old age. He hated how his youthfulness was apparent beside her. “And how’s your love life?”

Returning her smile, Steve clasped her hand between both of his. He found that he was shaking, too, except with sheer happiness. “It’s everything I could ever ask for.”

“I’m ecstatic for you, Steve.” Peggy’s voice was genuine and sweet. “Will you introduce me to her someday?”

“ _Him_ , actually,” Steve corrected, and the necklace around his neck suddenly felt a lot heavier than before. It’s...nice to say out loud. It’s nice to talk about Thor. “One day, yeah. I think you’ll like him.”

“If he managed to capture your kind and brave heart, then I’m sure he’s wonderful.”

“He really, really is,” Steve breathed, ducking his gaze to blink away a few happy tears. Distance truly does make the heart grow fonder. “That, and so much more.”

He then glanced at a photograph of a man dancing with Peggy. Despite being captured mid-turn, they were a sight together. “He’s your husband, right?”

“Yes. Daniel Sousa.” Peggy followed his gaze, her eyes faraway like she was reliving the moment in her memories. “You saved him, Steve. He wanted to thank you, but he never did get the chance.”

“He _did_ get his chance; through you.” Steve placed Peggy’s compass onto her palm and helped ease her fingers over it. “And now I get my chance. Thank you—for believing in me since the beginning.”

“Oh, stop it with the dramatics,” Peggy said, chuckling lightly. Steve smiled to himself—her laughter still sounded the same way as it did back then. “I’d rather you thank me by paying more visits.”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh fondly, and he wondered if his laugh sounded the same way as it did, too.

—

When they found Bucky, he hardly resisted.

Thankfully, Bucky was officially considered a prisoner of war and fully pardoned for his crimes as the Winter Soldier. However…

Steve lightly placed a palm to the cryotank Bucky was being sequestered in, watching as a sheen of ice accumulated over his best friend.

He didn’t drop his hand away until King T’Challa’s reflection joined his, and he glanced over to acknowledge him. “Thank you for this.”

“Of course.” T’Challa stood poised beside him, folding his hands behind his back as he regarded Bucky. “Your friend and my father were both victims. If I can help one of them find peace…”

Steve nodded. “I understand.”

When he exited, Steve found that the Avengers were all waiting for him (including the newest additions of Scott and Peter Parker).

“He’s going under?” Sam asked when no one else did, voice echoing in the silent, grand halls. 

“He thought it was for the best.” Steve surveyed his team, his gaze lingering on the gap left for Thor. Intentional or not, it still had the same impact on him. “Let’s go home.”

—

Home wasn’t the same without Thor’s presence.

Steve tried not to let on how much Thor’s absence affected him: he continued to jog every morning with Sam, bother Tony in his workshop, spar with Clint and Nat, catch up with Peggy, occasionally visit Wakanda for updates on Bucky…

Where warmth once resided in his chest, all that remained was an empty void.

Two agonizingly long years went by—and still no Thor (or Bruce, for that matter).

“You’re starting to look like a hobo,” Nat said during one of their sparring sessions, assessing his physical appearance. His hair was lengthy, unkempt, and he was sprouting a thick beard.

“Must be the depression beard.” Steve meant to say it as a joke, but his voice fell flat. “You like it?”

“I don’t like seeing you sad.” Nat sat cross legged and waited until he joined her on the mat to start forming small braids into his hair. “Talk to me, Steve.” 

“Got nothing to talk about. I’m fine,” Steve insisted, eyes closing involuntarily when she massaged at his scalp. “ _You_ talk to _me_.”

“During my hiatus after everything happened with SHEILD, I went back to Russia to find my parents,” Nat began as she tied the end of one of the braids. “Two little gravestones by a chain link fence. I pulled some weeds and left some flowers.”

“I’m sorry. It must’ve been tough for you,” Steve said quietly, thinking of his own parents’ gravestones that were succumbing gradually to time. “Did finding them...bring you closure?”

“It did.” Nat finished styling his hair and maneuvered for him to return the treatment. “Now I want to help _you_ find closure. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“What, you’re psychoanalyzing me now?” Steve joked as he parted Nat’s hair into several sections, ignoring the dull pang in his heart. “I miss Blake. I don’t know when I can see him again.”

Nat hummed sympathetically and peered over her shoulder to look at him. “Maybe when Thor comes back?”

Steve squared her with a hard glare, his eyes suddenly cold and his voice as dry as the Sahara. “Drop it, Nat. It wasn’t funny six years ago and it isn’t funny now.” 

Nat frowned and twisted to fully face him (despite her hair being halfway done). “I wasn’t trying to make _fun_ of you. I was...I’m trying to tell you something that I’ve known for a really long time.”

Steve’s glacial stare melted slightly, although his tone still retained some of its sharpness. “What?”

Nat’s defensive expression fell away. Her question sounded more like a statement when she asked, “Blake is Thor, isn’t he?”

“That’s—” Steve’s breath hitched in his throat, and he tried to come up with a plausible explanation. “No they’re...distant relatives.”

“You’re still a terrible liar, even after all these years.” Nat gave him a coy smile, like the cat that got the cream. “Does anyone else know?” 

“No.” Steve gave up the act, frustratedly running his hands through his hair and unintentionally plucking off all the hair ties. “Just you.” 

“Uh, actually…” Clint cut in from where he was stretched across a bench (Steve forgot he was even there). “I kinda figured it out when he kept asking for pop tarts.” 

Steve flopped down onto the mat, throwing a forearm across his eyes with a groan. “I think I’ll take my vacation day early.”

“Fiji or the Bahamas?” Clint asked, pushing himself up to assume a sitting position. “Oh! Have you thought about Hawaii?”

“None of the above.” Steve lifted his forearm to look at Clint still prattling on about vacation spots. “Wakanda.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now onto one of my fav mcu movies: infinity war!! 
> 
> sadly, it can be compressed into one chapter bc steve has like 6 mins of screen time,, and yes, his beard was inspired by himself
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

“This is Billy, right?” Steve asked as he ruffled the goat’s ears. The creature paused from chewing on straws of hay to bleat at him. “He’s the one with the patches?”

Bucky glanced over to see for himself, and with a laugh that said ‘silly Steve,’ he resumed his strange task of hauling hay bales around. What was he even doing? Yard decor? “No, that’s Bobby. Billy doesn’t have patches.”

“Since when did Bobby have patches?” Steve threw his hands up in mock surrender. “I don’t know how you do it. There’s no difference.”

“There is,” Bucky insisted, dusting off the hay that clung to his clothes and refocusing his attention on his plethora of goats. “Bentley’s got a beard, like you.”

“Pft.” Steve snorted at the said goat, who was currently interested in Steve’s sleeve and eyeing it like a potential snack. “Won’t work, Bent. It’s made out of tough material.”

Suddenly, Steve received an impending call from his phone. He hadn’t been expecting any calls from the Avengers so soon; today was supposed to be a free day.

He exchanged a confused look with Bucky, before swiping ‘accept’ and holding the speaker to his ear. “Tony?” 

His heart lurched with unease when he didn’t hear the engineer answer, but rather someone else entirely. “Steve, it’s me. It’s Bruce.” 

“Bruce?” Steve cradled the phone in both his hands, fear mounting by the minute and mind racing with worst case scenarios. “Everything okay?”

All Bruce had to offer was, “Thanos is coming.”

“What?” That was...awfully vague and not enough to build on. Steve frowned and knitted his eyebrows in confusion. “I’m gonna need a little more than that.” 

“The attack on New York,” Bruce elaborated, the words spilling out of him without pause. He sounded almost borderline frantic. “That’s him; that’s Thanos. He sent Loki. He—”

“Bruce,” Steve interrupted sharply, before adjusting his voice to be somehow both soothing and commanding. “I’m gonna need you to calm down. Can you do that for me?” 

“Yeah. Sorry, I…” There was a sound like Bruce was nervously drumming his fingers against the phone on the other end of the line, before he audibly gulped. “Thor’s gone, Steve.”

Steve was stunned into silence.

His eyes were wide with shock. As the words processed in his mind, pressure started to gradually seize his lungs until he couldn’t breathe.

When breathing was supposed to be the easiest thing in the world to do, it suddenly became the hardest.

Fuck, he can’t _breathe_.

He finally registered both Bucky and Bruce calling his name and managed to force out, “Sorry. What’s—what’s the plan?”

If Bruce was taken aback by the sudden change in subject, he didn’t reveal it. “Thanos is after the Infinity Stones. Vision has one. We’re trying to find where he is.”

As Bruce spoke, Steve tried to maintain his composure _—_ at least until the phone call was over. Serious business comes first; a mental breakdown could come later. “Leave that to me.”

Without waiting for a reply, he dropped the phone to bury his face in his hands. Beside him, and totally unaware of everything, Bentley attempted to nibble on his sleeve.

“Aw, pal,” Bucky said softly and slowly guided Steve into his embrace. He rubbed his vibranium hand up and down Steve’s back, holding him steady with the flesh arm. “S’okay, Stevie. Breathe for me. S’okay.”

“He’s gone,” Steve choked out between full-body sobs, staining the front of Bucky’s shirt with tears. He knew Bucky didn’t know who the hell he was talking about, but his mind was too addled with grief to care. “Buck, he’s _gone_.”

“It’s gonna be okay,” was all Bucky could say, and they stood there for a long, long time. 

_—_

As the train chugged along its tracks, Steve cradled his necklace close to his chest _—_ near the area of his heart.

He wished he could cradle Thor’s face between his hands instead, but this was enough. It was a small piece of Thor, and it’s enough.

Slowly, he lifted the broken heart to his lips and placed a gentle kiss against the initials inscribed, his eyes fluttering closed like he was nursing a headache.

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed the letters until Bucky had pointed them out: _T.O.,_ forThor Odinson. Thor, who was _gone_.

How the hell was he supposed to have a future with Thor if he was _gone_? 

Above the high-pitched whistle and puffing of the train, Steve could hear the beaded chains rattle quietly.

When he reopened his eyes, he found that Sam and Nat were both watching him with carefully closed expressions. Unable to face them in his current state, he tore his gaze away to count each blurry tree that passed.

“Cap? You want to talk about it?” Sam asked in a gentle voice. “Only if you want, man. You don’t have to, but it usually helps.”

“Thank you, Sam. But talking won't bring him back.” Steve released his iron grip on his necklace and willed his countenance to harden. “We’re almost there. Ready to raise some hell?” 

_—_

Steve leaped out of the moving express train, tucking into a roll to cushion his landing.

When the last caboose rumbled past, the alien flung her weapon at neck-breaking speed. He caught it with relative ease, using the alien’s momentary surprise to emerge from the shadows.

Through the railings, Vision and Wanda looked beyond relieved at his arrival.

The alien effectively distracted, Sam sailed through the air and used the momentum to slam his feet into the alien’s flank, sending her crashing through the cafe’s window.

Steve passed the alien’s weapon to Nat like a baton, and in no time, the aliens were swiftly apprehended.

“Get up,” Alien One urged the other, pressing her hand against the wound on Alien Two’s chest. Alien Two responded with a weak ‘I can’t.’

Steve leveled the sharp end of the weapon to their throats, his voice simmering with anger. “Then stay down. I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

“You’ll never get the chance to,” Alien One snarled, her voice also full of resentment. Before Steve could test her theory, however, the aliens were beamed up _—_ along with the staff in Steve’s hand. Aw. 

When he and Nat returned, Sam was helping Vision to his feet (who didn’t seem like he was boding too well). He tried for a smile _—_ and winced when electricity crackled across his body. “Thank you, Captain.”

“Take it easy,” Steve said, placing a hand on Vision’s shoulder to keep him from moving unnecessarily. “Let’s get you out of here.”

_—_

Steve thumbed his necklace as he admired the beautiful landscape of Wakanda beside T’Challa. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, he wished he could share the view with Thor. 

“Hey, Cap,” Sam said over the comms, putting a halt to his daydream. “We gotta situation here.”

As if on cue, a massive alien vessel  collided into Wakanda’s forcefield, erupting into an explosion.

Steve glanced over at T’Challa, who appeared as worried as he felt.

Meanwhile, Vision scrambled to sit up from his position on the table, ignoring Shuri’s protests. “We need to destroy the Stone now. We don’t have much time.”

“Vision, get your ass back on the table,” Nat snapped, glaring at him until he complied. To T’Challa, she asked, “What should we do?”

“We will hold them off,” T’Challa said, raising his voice to address every individual in the room and adopting a note of authority. “Evacuate the city. Engage all defense procedures.”

Then, he turned on his heel to indicate to Steve. “And get this man a better shield.”

—

The disfigured alien bowled Steve over and snapped ferociously at his face before he even hit the ground.

Immediately, other Outriders took advantage of the opportunity to pounce on him. One managed to swipe at him with a clawed hand, causing his lip to sting immensely. 

Steve alternated between violently jabbing the aliens square in their chests and kicking off the ones latching onto his ankles with their rows of teeth, gritting his own teeth against the relentless onslaught. 

“Ahh!” Bruce voiced his thoughts aloud as the Hulkbuster was overwhelmed by a swarm of Outriders. “There’s too many of them!”

Suddenly, light the color of every spectrum beamed from the heavens. An axe crackling with lightning cleaved through the aliens overpowering Steve and returned to…

Steve couldn’t believe his eyes.

An incredulous smile broke out on his face as he struggled to his feet, staring in awe as _Thor_ brandished his new weapon with an anthropomorphic raccoon perched on his shoulder and a tree at his side.  

Bruce popped open the Hulkbuster's helmet and let out a hysterical laugh. “You guys are so screwed now!”

“ _Bring me Thanos_!” Thor roared as he barreled toward the mass of Outriders, propelling himself into the sky when he was wreathed entirely in lightning. He descended with a tumultuous _boom!_ , leaving a massive crater in his wake.

The tide had turned with Thor’s entrance; the battle was finally in their favor.

Steve doesn’t think he’s ever been happier.

Despite the effort to keep his emotions under control, he still couldn’t contain the affection in his eyes. Thor looked _exactly_ like future Thor, from his hair to his eyes—down to the way he held himself.

And Steve was _still_  attracted to him, even after two years.

He felt slightly out of breath when he noticed Thor was gazing back at him with half-lidded eyes, absorbing his new disheveled look. “Hey. New haircut?”

“Hi.” Thor’s gaze dipped slightly, before he grinned and motioned to his face. “Notice you've copied my beard.”

“You call that a beard?” Steve joked, then nodded towards the axe gripped in Thor’s other hand. “Nice upgrades to Mjolnir.”

“Stormbreaker, now.”

“Should’ve called it Stormmaker.”

Thor laughed dryly and made a show of brandishing Stormbreaker, his signature red cape rippling with the movement. “Very creative. I’ll let you name the next one.”

Before Steve could come up with a flirtatious response, the tree from earlier impaled three Outriders in one move with...his arm?

Upon closer inspection, he realized that the tree’s arm was the same material as Stormbreaker’s handle, and he briefly wondered if it was a coincidence, or if that truly _was_ the tree’s arm.

“By the way,” Thor said, singling out his companion with a gesture of his weapon. “This is a friend of mine. Tree.”

“I am _Groot_!” Tree—er, Groot—corrected furiously. Note to self: refrain from calling him Tree.

Steve held up a hand towards himself as a mean of introduction. “I am Steve Rogers.”

“I noticed that I resemble your boyfriend an awful lot,” Thor said without preamble, looking nonplussed by the revelation. “It’s almost uncanny.”

“Yeah?” Steve asked in the most clueless tone he could muster. He drove his shield into an Outrider until it stopped writhing, scrambling to come up with a believable excuse. “That’s funny. Maybe he’s your long lost twin or something.”

Thor...actually seemed to be taking his piss-poor lie into consideration. “That could be it.”

“Guys, we gotta Vision situation here,” Sam intercepted, and shit, he _just_ remembered the whole purpose of the battle.

Steve fought his way towards the building Vision was being held in, slowed down by the Outriders literally throwing themselves into his path. “Somebody get to Vision!”

—

Thanos gets to Vision.

—

Their attempts to stop Thanos from reaching Vision were futile; he swatted them away like flies.

Steve managed to evade an attack with a slide and hefted up his deployed shields to punch Thanos in his nut sack of a chin. One of his shields broke from the impact, but he remained undeterred as he held up the gauntlet, his arms shaking from the effort.

Pain erupted in the side of his head and he fell limp to the ground like a puppet without its strings. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Wanda lunging towards Vision…

And regained consciousness when Thanos seized Vision by the throat, lifting him high into the air and forcefully ripping out the Mind Stone from his head.

No longer of use, Thanos carelessly tossed his colorless body away.

Steve could only watch as Thanos inserted the final Stone into his gauntlet, closing his eyes to revel in the immensity of its power.

All six Stones, wielded by one mad Titan.

He could barely register the bolt of lightning that blasted Thanos several feet back and Stormbreaker piercing him in the chest over the incessant throbbing in his head.

After a full minute of lying in the dirt, he slowly rose to his feet and staggered into the clearing to check on Thor, nursing the left side of his body with a hand.

When he eventually made it through the undergrowth, Thor looked completely devastated. 

“Where’d he go?” Steve demanded, surveying the area to locate where Thanos was. He tried again when the god didn’t respond—only stared unblinkingly at Stormbreaker on the floor. “Thor? Where’d he go?”

“Steve?”

Steve whirled around, and just as he was about to ask him what was wrong, Bucky disintegrated into dust right before his very eyes. 

Steve stumbled to where his best friend stood not three seconds ago, kneeling down to lightly touch what remained of Bucky.

He glanced desperately back at Thor, his mouth slack with disbelief and hoping he would say something to reassure him.

Thor said nothing and could only give him an equally unbelieving look. 

Feeling suddenly weak, Steve fell back against a tree for support. He didn’t know what to feel or what to even think; he felt everything and nothing all at once. 

The remainder of the Avengers surrounded him, and when Rhodes asked him what the hell was happening, all he could say was,

“Oh, god.” 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i won’t be glossing over the 5 year timeskip, which will be the transition btwn infinity war and endgame (as you guys have figured out!!)
> 
> also i bought a thundershield shirt that said worthy!! but it’s like three times my size,,
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

From his vantage point, Steve could see sunlight filter through a thick canopy of leaves overhead. 

A cool breeze drifted through the eerily quiet forest, stirring his grimy hair and disturbing the piles of dust from his friends and allies.   
  
“Steve,” Nat called for the first time since Thanos disappeared with the obsolete gauntlet. Her face was the perfect reflection of the way he felt—actually, the way they _all_ felt—tired. “We’ve got incoming.”  
  
As if on cue, an airship landed several yards away from their location and billowed up clouds of dirt.

“Great. That’s exactly what we needed; more trouble,” Steve muttered as he rose to his feet. Of _course_ people would jump at the opportunity to take advantage of Earth at her most vulnerable point.

Closing his hand to activate his shield, Steve assumed a fighting stance and said, “Eyes up. Stay sharp.”  
  
They collectively held their breath as a ramp extended from the foreign flying object, meeting the ground with a dull _clunk_.

If he squinted hard enough, Steve could distinguish two dark forms emerging from within and...one from under the ship?

“We come in peace!” A familiar voice rang out over the dying engines. Could it be...?

“Tony!” War Machine identified the newcomer for them, his metallic faceplate lifting to reveal an incredulous Rhodes underneath. “Tony, you’re okay.”  
  
“In theory,” Tony joked, his battered face straining under the effort to smile. “Hey, all. This is Blue Meanie.”

A blue android descended down the ramp until the forest framed her backside, stopping short of the group. She stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the vegetation—a visual juxtaposition between nature and technology.  
  
“Your sentimental reunion can wait,” She asserted with finality, leaving no room for argument. “We have a lot to talk about.”

—

The figure underneath the airship had been Captain Marvel (or Carol, as she insisted on being called).

“He still has the Stones,” She was currently informing them. “Let’s get them—use them to bring everyone back.”

“If we do this,” Bruce began, the reported missing persons flashing across his countenance. “How do we know it’s gonna end any differently than it did hours ago?”

Carol exuded an aura of unwavering confidence when she replied, “Because before, you didn’t have me.”

“Wow.” Rocket the _not_  sweet rabbit twitched an ear irritably at her. “Big talk for someone who wasn’t at the battle.”

“Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear,” Tony commented offhandedly and reclined in his wheelchair. Steve was worried he was going to fall off. 

Rocket blinked at him. “Is that a good thing?”

“There are a _lot_ of other planets in the universe,” Carol carried on, as though they hadn’t said anything. “And unfortunately, they didn’t have you guys.”

Without warning, Thor stood up and advanced towards Carol, his footsteps heavy and threatening. She merely appraised him with a calm look as he stopped in front of her, curious to see his next move.

Thor outstretched his hand and sent his axe hurtling over her shoulder at frightening speed. But instead of flinching, she only tilted the corner of her mouth up into a smirk.

It must’ve been the correct reaction because Thor rested his forearms on Stormbreaker and shot Carol an approving smile. “I like this one.”

Steve tried to ignore the way his stomach clenched with jealousy throughout the entire exchange and trained his gaze elsewhere.

“That settles it, then.” Rhodes finished checking Tony’s vitals and joined the Avengers at the table. “Cap?”

“Yeah?” Steve and Carol answered simultaneously. When he glanced at her, she simply shrugged. “Which one?”

“Wait, there’s _two_ captains?” Rocket asked, glancing back and forth between the pair. “Yeah, this ain’t confusing at all.”

“Assuming it’s me, we make an elaborate plan first,” Steve decided, pausing for any objections and continuing when there weren’t any. “We don’t want to delve into this blindly. As soon as we have one, we get that son of a bitch.”

—

A consensus was finally reached to recuperate for several weeks, allowing them time to regain their bearings before devising a plan to retrieve the Stones.

In the meantime, Steve sketched to ease his qualms. It was rather cathartic to draw, to immerse himself in ink instead of grief.

He’d been filling an entire page with things that sparked joy when a familiar, baritone voice rumbled close to his ear. “It’s amazing how you do it.”

“Do what?” Steve asked, snapping his sketchbook closed to provide Thor his full attention. “Fight? Tap dance?”  
  
“Draw,” Thor elucidated, mouth pulling into an amused smile. There was a warm feeling, like a slow sunrise, blooming in Steve’s chest. “You create beautiful images from nothing but your heart and your mind.”

Steve smiled—almost shyly—down at his sketchbook. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“But I didn't know you could tap dance,” Thor said, extending a hand to tap a catchy tune onto the cover of his sketchbook. He found it...endearing that Thor didn’t know that tap dancing was with shoes and not fingers.  
  
“Well.” Steve rolled a shoulder in a half-shrug. “ _I_ didn’t know that you lost your hammer. Or that Asgard was destroyed. Or—”

He cut himself off when he noticed the god’s good-natured smile waver in its radiance. Scrambling to mitigate the damage, Steve said, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought any of that up.”  
  
“No, it’s fine,” Thor dismissed with a shake of his head. “You meant no harm. But you yourself are familiar with loss.”    
  
Steve flinched, as if he’d been burned. “I guess you’re right.”

Thor made a noncommittal sound.

They lapsed into an indescribable silence afterward, neither pleasant nor unpleasant. The only sounds were those of nocturnal animals.

It was noticeably quieter now than ever. 

“Hey, we’ll try to get back as much as we can,” Steve said to the darkness. “We’re gonna avenge the universe. Take down Thanos—make him pay. Whatever it takes.”

“And if we can’t?” Thor asked, his voice uncharacteristically small. 

Steve clasped a hand to his shoulder and gave what he hoped was a comforting squeeze. “Then we’ll go down swinging.”

“So until fate claims us.”

“Yeah.” Steve tipped his head back to gaze up at the stars (even the stars seemed fewer in number). “Until then.”

Another moment of silence passed, like they were both mourning, before Thor said, “I came into contact with my people.”

“Really? That’s great.” Steve redirected his gaze to Thor and smiled when he saw that the god was already looking at him. “I’m glad they’re safe.”

“I am, as well.” Thor’s smile returned full force. “They were taking refuge in Norway and re-establishing Asgard there. I wanted to ask if you would like to visit one day.”

“Yeah, of course,” Steve immediately said. What was he going to do? Say no? “I’d love to. I’ve never been to the _other_ Asgard, so, you know.”

“First time for everything,” Thor said, showing that he _did_ know. Then he stood up and held out an inviting hand. “I also wanted to ask if you would join me in salvaging what’s left of Stark and Nebula’s ship.”

“Sure.”

Any excuse to spend time with Thor? Count him in. 

Steve took his hand.

—

“Find anything?” Steve toed at an aluminum package and scrunched his nose at the green goop that oozed from the opening. Yuck.

Thor easily moved a truck-sized storage unit aside (it took Steve a full ten seconds to stop wishing he were that crate). “No such luck.”

“Aw, rats.” Steve overturned an empty can with a nudge of his foot. It tumbled down the ramp into the abyss below.

“No, I think that’s a dog.”

“What?” Steve glanced over to where Thor was hunkered down on his haunches, staring at the slightly ajar fridge as if it contained all the answers.

A small snout was peeking out, and a single beady eye was gazing up at Thor. Steve cooed sympathetically. “Poor thing must’ve been looking for food.” 

“Then we will provide him such,” Thor said, beckoning with a hand to the dog. He sniffed curiously at the appendage and fixed Thor with a hesitant look. 

“Don’t be afraid,” Thor murmured with a smile as soft as a bed of daisies. He inched a little closer, his hand still outstretched. “We won’t hurt you.”

While Thor whistled in an attempt to coax the dog out, Steve crossed his arms over his chest and listed against the wall. “Hate to break it to you, but I don’t think that’s gonna work.”

“We’ll see about that.” Thor paused to throw Steve a ‘challenge accepted’ look. “Just you wait.”

And it was like the universe wanted to prove Steve wrong;  _only_  to appease Thor.

The canine slowly crept out of his hiding spot and plopped down onto his hindquarters in front of Thor, tail wagging furiously like a helicopter.

Thor patted the dog on the top of his head and gave Steve a smug look that _definitely_ didn’t make his heart flutter. “You were saying?”

“What are you? Snow White?” Steve teased as he held out a hand for the dog to sniff. The dog’s nose was wet, tickling his palm, and he laughed under his breath when the dog licked his fingers.

“Is Snow White an Avenger?” Thor asked with such a genuinely confused (and somehow cute) expression that Steve wanted to kiss him. “It’s been a while.”

It was difficult to resist the temptation, and he distracted himself by scratching the one-eyed dog behind the ear. “No, but Snow White is a really good person.”

“Ah.” Thor fitted his arms under the dog and lifted him into the air. Surprisingly, the dog didn’t put up a struggle. “Then _you_ are Snow White.”

 _No_ , Steve thought as Thor carried the canine into the Avengers Compound—into the safety of their home. _You are_.

—

“He’s lucky you guys found him,” Clint said as he rinsed down the dog with the shower head. “Hard to survive with one eye.”

Thor made a  _hmm_ in disagreement, watching the dog yip playfully and ‘gnaw’ at the stream of water. “Not so much.”

“Not everyone’s as capable as you, Thor,” Steve joked, before squeezing a glob of soap into Clint’s hand. “What’re you gonna name him?”

“Arrow!” Clint said, then regrettably shook his head. The dog copied his movements, and all three of them groaned at being sprayed with water. “No, no, Lucky! You know, for surviving on his own.”

“I think you should do the naming,” Thor said to Steve, and Steve laughed as he leaned over to delicately wipe Thor’s dripping wet face with a towel. 

Clint glanced between Steve and Thor, his eyes glinting with realization. He ‘subtly’ pointed at Thor behind his back and mouthed, “ _That’s your boyfriend_!”

Steve deliberately ignored Clint to smile down at the dog. The canine was panting with happiness, tongue lolling out the side of his jowls. “Lucky’s a nice name.”

Thor made another _hmm_ in disagreement, and Steve couldn’t help but laugh again.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy birthday to steve and nick fury!! 
> 
> BRO far from home is so good!! definitely one of my top fav mcu movies
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

The foamy waves of the ocean were relatively tranquil and lapped quietly at the rocky shore. The only disturbance to the serene seaside town were the piercing cries of seagulls.

Steve took a brief moment to enjoy the zephyr caressing his skin, tasting a pleasant mix of salt and seaweed on his tongue.  

His company, Rocket and Bruce, paid no heed to him as they scoped the docks in search of Thor (they _could_ ask for directions, but pride over efficiency, he guessed). 

As they ambled along, Rocket—unnecessarily—commented, “Kind of a step down from a golden palace for an Avenger highness and whatnot.” 

“Have a little compassion, pal,” Bruce said, pausing to look at a vaguely Thor-shaped figure. False alarm; it was a bush. “First they’ve lost Asgard, and then half the people. They’re probably just happy to have a home.”

Rocket wrinkled his nose in disdain and glanced around the harbor again. Aside from the lighthouse, nothing else was extravagant nor worth noting. “Yeah, well, their ‘home’ reeks of fish and beer.”

Before Steve could say something he’d regret, Bruce’s face brightened with recognition at a woman preparing a fishnet. “Valkyrie!” 

At the sound of her name, Valkyrie stopped to shield her eyes against the sun’s rays. “You shouldn’t have come!” 

As soon as they crossed the creaky boardwalk to reach her, Bruce introduced them with, “This is Rocket, and Steve. You already know me and the big guy.”

Rocket leaned his weight against a barrel and tipped his chin up in a leisure greeting. “How you doin’?”

Valkyrie deliberately ignored him in lieu of taking Steve’s outstretched hand. Her grip was impressively strong. “Steve, was it? His Majesty’s told me a lot about you.”

Steve tried not to let his surprise show, although he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face like melted butter. “He has?”

“He’s awfully fond of you,” Valkyrie said with a knowing look in her eyes, before she towed in her net with a flex of her arms. “If you want to find him, just follow the lightning.” 

“Lightning? What lightning?” Rocket parroted, turning his face to squint upwards. “There ain’t any light—”

Just then, lightning flashed across the sky. Rocket clicked his mouth shut with a bewildered, “Huh.”

—

Steve didn’t know why lightning was required to structure a building, but Thor looked _phenomenal_  with his hands wreathed in it.  

At the sight of the trio, his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and he abandoned his work to greet them. “My friends! How have you been?” 

Bruce’s smile collapsed—along with his shoulders. “Busy. It’s been a really long week.” 

“Understandably so,” Thor said, resting a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. Then he spotted Rocket and immediately tried to noogie the raccoon. “Sweet rabbit! Come here, you little rascal!”

“Aye, _aye_ ,” Rocket said, ducking the exact moment Stormbreaker nearly decapitated him. “Careful swingin’ that thing around! You tryna kill me?!”

“How perceptive!” Thor jested, giving a full belly laugh that quickly subsided once he noticed Steve’s presence.

His smile softened as he drank in Steve’s appearance, eyes lingering on his slicked back hair and neatly trimmed beard. “Steven. It’s always good to see you.”

Steve would deny that he beamed later, preening under Thor’s attention. He may, or may not, have held his head slightly higher after the god’s appraisal. “You, too.”

“Uh, we’re happy to see things are going great here,” Bruce said to keep the conversation flowing when no one (not even Rocket) spoke for a solid minute.

“As am I,” Thor said, turning to sweep an almost protective gaze over New Asgard. “I failed my people once. I don’t want to repeat the same mistake.” 

Something dark flickered across Thor’s face, before he perked up again and slung his arms around all three of them. “Anyway, what brings you here? Has the planning started early?” 

“What?” Bruce asked, not unkindly. “We need a reason to visit friends now?”

Thor grinned. “Fair point. Shall we catch up inside?”

— 

‘Inside’ was a disaster.

Every building in New Asgard was pristine— _except_ for the one Thor was taking residence in. The interior looked like it had been hit directly by a tornado.

“Woo!” Rocket pinched the bridge of his nose at the godawful stench. If he thought the fish and beer was bad, this was _worse_. “Something died in here.”

“You can say that again.” Steve started when he noticed two aliens lounging on a beat-up couch, playing some type of game on a console and eating bags of chips.

One of them raised a rock-covered hand in greeting; the other held up a blade hand. “Hey guys. Beer’s on the bucket. Feel free to log on to the Wi-Fi. No password, obviously.”

“Friends, meet my other friends Korg and Miek,” Thor said as he propped Stormbreaker against the wall to rummage through his fridge. From what Steve could see, it contained significantly more beer than food. “Do any of you want a drink? We have all sorts of things—beer, tequila.”

“I’m good,” Bruce said, eyes still on the fridge even after Thor had closed it. “Don’t know about the others.”

“Suit yourself.” Thor hooked a bottle of beer to Stormbreaker and popped it open with a fizzle, taking a long swig of the bubbling substance with a satisfied ‘ah’. 

“Thor, you alright?” Steve asked as he reached out to cup Thor’s cheek in concern, his eyes searching the god’s face for anything that betrayed that he wasn’t ‘alright.’ 

They both froze at the same time.

“Er, yes,” Thor said after an awkward beat of silence. He lowered his bottle with uncertainty, unsure of whether to lean into Steve’s touch or to draw away. “Of course I’m alright. Are _you_ alright, Steven?”

Steve chose for him, quickly retracting his hand and shoving it into his pocket where it couldn’t touch Thor. “Just peachy.”

“Okay, enough with the sugarcoating,” Rocket intervened, hopping up onto a barrel and knocking off bottles in the process. “Thor, ya got an addiction problem.” 

“That’s _absurd_ ,” Thor said, his voice lowering several octaves. “I’m helping to restore Asgard to its former glory. And if I need a little help from alcohol, so be it.”

“ _Former glory_?” Rocket echoed, throwing out a hand to gesture to the entirety of the shack. “Buddy, this is a shithole—”

Steve interrupted before things could get blown out of proportion, plastering on a strained smile that more closely resembled a grimace. “Bruce, would you mind taking Rocket outside for some fresh air?”

Bruce looked relieved for an excuse to leave and shooed Rocket off the barrel with a wave of his arms. “Not at all! Take as long as you need.” 

The door clanged shut, and they were finally alone together (excluding Korg and Miek, who were too invested in their game to care).

“Thor,” Steve murmured when he didn’t say anything but guzzle down more beer. The god made an uninterested grunt. “How are you _actually_ doing?”

“I was afraid you would ask that.” Thor wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and peered down into his nearly empty bottle. “I...admittedly not well. But I don’t wish to burden my people with trivial matters.”

“Mental health isn’t trivial.” Steve felt his heart ache at the obvious pain on Thor’s face, and the urge to hold him in his arms was difficult to resist. “Seeking help doesn’t make you a burden.”

Thor shook his head like Steve wouldn’t understand. “When you’re a king, you must place your people above your own needs.” 

“It’s okay to prioritize yourself first,” Steve susurrated, placing a hand on Thor’s shoulder. Thor looked up with a convoluted expression. “It’s not selfish. You can choose to do things for yourself every once in a while.”

Thor took in a shuddery breath. “Steven, I’m not down here wallowing in my own self-pity. I appreciate your concern, but there’s no need to worry.” 

He wrapped a hand around Steve’s and, with a watery smile, squeezed lightly. “I wouldn’t have brought you here, had I known it would upset you.”

Steve pursed his lips into a hard, thin line. “So you were gonna keep this all to yourself? Thor, I want to _help you—_ ”

“For what reason?” Thor demanded, his smile dropping. “Because you aren’t helping like the others? Stark has a relief foundation. Natasha has an orphanage. Bruce, Okoye, and Rhodes are providing aid to the world; Carol, Rabbit, and Nebula to the universe—do you truly have nothing better to do than to pity me?”

“That’s a low blow,” Steve whispered, wrenching his hand away to dig his nails into his palm. “I’m not helping you out of pity; I  _care_ about you, Thor.”

Steve strode out the door, silently hoping Thor would stop him on the way out. 

He didn’t.

—

“...so I win the bet, he transfers the units, I get the arm, and—aye, why the long face?” Rocket asked when Steve stalked right past them to the pickup truck. 

Steve paused to spit rhetorically, “Why do you think?” 

“Thor say something to piss you off?” Rocket, apparently, didn’t get the memo and idly picked at his teeth with a twig. “Yeah, I’ve been there. Give him some space and he’ll open up to you eventually.”

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing with him, but...” Bruce jogged to catch up to Steve. “Everyone has their limits, and I know more than _anyone_ that Thor’s pushed beyond his. It’s not the healthiest way to cope, but alcohol’s the only thing alleviating his pain right now.”

“I just—” Steve peered at the closed door, at the barrier separating him and Thor. “I’ve never seen him this way. I want to help him.”

“I want to help him too,” Bruce said, smiling dolefully. “But all we _can_ do is remind him that we’re here for him. He’ll seek us out whenever he’s ready.”

“I hope he does,” Steve said, before patting the side of the truck. “But you two go on without me. I’m staying.”

Rocket sighed heavily and ran his hands down his face. “Oh for crying out loud.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i gotta 4 on my ap exam YEET,, also there WILL be a chapter that delves more into thor’s depression but for now, have some fluff ajsjs
> 
> thanks for 500+ kudos!!
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Steve was browsing through WikiHow for a tutorial on fishing when a certain _someone_ joined him on the docks.

He didn’t need to look to know who it was—who else would it be?

“Learning a new skill?” Thor asked in an infuriatingly casual tone, acting as if yesterday’s fight never happened.

“Yep,” Steve replied curtly, setting his phone aside (even though he wasn’t finished with the article). He busied himself with his fishing rod, trying to avoid looking at Thor. “Thought I’d try to be, you know, _helpful_.” 

Thor was quiet for some time, the only sound the crashing of waves and the ever present cry of seagulls. Then, a small, “Steven, I wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday. Lately, I haven’t been feeling like myself.”

Steve stiffened, but otherwise didn’t say or do anything other than struggle with his fishing rod. Who the hell designed this thing?

“Forgive me,” Thor continued, his voice laden with guilt. “I should’ve controlled my temper. It’s unfair of me to lash out at you when you only had my best interests at heart. I’m terribly sorry.”

Finally, Steve stopped fumbling with his fishing rod to meet Thor’s gaze. It pained him to see the naked sorrow on the god’s face. “Don’t be. You’ve got nothing to apologize for.  _I_ should be apologizing for trying to tell you what to do.” 

Thor opened his mouth, but Steve wasn’t finished yet. “I _do_ want to help you. But if me helping you worsens everything? Then there’s no point.”

Slowly, at the pace of a sloth, he wrapped his arms around Thor in a warm embrace. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll be there.”

Thor returned the hug with the barest hint of a smile. “You can confide in me, as well. About anything or nothing at all.”

“Thanks.” Steve couldn’t help but tuck his face under Thor’s chin, inhaling the god’s familiar scent. Like oak trees and something coppery. “We should probably let go before Valkyrie says something.”

“Let her say whatever she wants.” At this proximity, Steve could feel rather than hear Thor’s voice roll deep within his chest like, well, thunder. “You seemed like you needed a hug.”

“Speak for yourself.” Steve smiled, holding onto him like a promise until the fog blanketing the ocean dissipated and the sun crested over the horizon.

With reluctance, he extricated himself to pick up his neglected fishing rod. “Do you know how to set up one of these things? I’ve been trying to for at least an hour.”

“You’re in luck.” Thor gently pried the fishing rod from his hands and angled it to provide Steve a clear view. “First and foremost, open the bale _before_ you tie the line on the spool.” 

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Steve said, even as it didn’t make a lick of sense to him. He didn’t want to interrupt Thor’s lesson, so he didn’t bother asking for clarification. 

“Indeed.” Thor seemed pleased by his faux response. “Not doing so would prevent you from properly winding the line...” 

As the god driveled on about the essence of fishing, Steve slowly tuned him out to admire the way the rising sun haloed his head. He looked angelic, and Steve wanted to kiss him until the stars came out—

“Steven,” Thor said, startling Steve out of his thoughts. He didn’t appear offended that Steve wasn’t listening; more contemplative than anything. “Do I bore you?”

“No.” Steve could probably listen to Thor talk all day and never grow tired of hearing his voice. “Just...distracted by something beautiful.” 

“Yes,” Thor agreed, turning to the horizon and watching life pour back into the world. “The sunrises in New Asgard _are_ rather beautiful.”  

 _I think you’re more beautiful_ , Steve thought to himself and—goddammit, future Thor’s cheesiness was starting to rub off on him. He bit the inside of his cheek and cast the line. 

After a minute of watching the bobber float on the water’s surface, Steve asked in an attempt to make conversation, “How’s Jane?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Thor adopted a neutral expression. “Jane and I had a mutual dumping a while back.”

“Well, Blake kind of left me for another guy,” Steve said with a matching expression (although he was celebrating internally). It technically wasn’t a lie—just missing a few significant details.

“You have my sympathy.”

Just then, Steve felt the fishing rod dip slightly in his hands and quickly reeled in his catch. In record time, he was holding up a decently sized fish like a trophy.

Thor gave him a nod of approval. “A fine catch.”

Steve beamed at the praise, and the _literal_ second he took his eyes off the fish, it thrashed wildly and flailed out of his hands—straight back into the ocean.

They stared at the ripples in the water for a moment, before Thor bursted into uproarious laughter.

Steve contorted his face into a look of betrayal as Thor braced himself on the railing to keep from keeling over. “I thought I did okay.”

“You did,” Thor said when his laughter petered away, although the smile on his countenance was still present. “Until you dropped it.” 

“No, no, I was only jesting!” Thor exclaimed when Steve’s frown deepened. He placed both hands on Steve’s shoulders and shook him, as if trying to rid the expression from his face. “You’re a quick learner. It’s a magnificent quality to have.”

“Sure.”

“I mean it.” Thor’s eyes were gleaming as he drew Steve closer to himself. “I’m proud of you.”

And it was like the sun was made to shine on him. 

Thor was fully bathed in the morning light, his smile brilliant enough to rival the sun itself. Steve found himself leaning forward ever-so-slightly, as if he were drawn to him—as if to bring their mouths together.

Before he could, however, Valkyrie asked, “What is it about fishing that brings out the sincerity?”

They looked over to where Valkyrie was, obscured by a mountain of fish. “Your Majesty, why don’t you show Steve your new steed? I’ll take over the fishing from here.”

“An excellent idea!” Thor said, steering Steve elsewhere with his hands still set on Steve’s shoulders. Steve was worried he was going to trip on something. “This way, my friend.”

—

The Pegasi stood at attention upon Thor’s entry, ears swiveling and straining to catch his eye over their gates like they were saying ‘pick me!’

Thor, however, passed all of them to stand before a winter-white mare with a silky mane. She whinnied at the sight of her owner, pushing affectionately against his palm when he placed a hand to her muzzle.

“She doesn’t have a name yet,” Thor said, stepping aside to allow Steve room into the stall. “Would you like to do the honors?”

Steve tilted his head at her, and he smiled when she mimicked his movement. “How does Spirit sound?”

She brayed softy, as if saying ‘yes.’ 

“Spirit it is,” Thor said, smiling at her positive reaction. “Go on, Steven. She doesn’t bite. Or, at least, I won’t allow her to bring harm to you.”

“That’s reassuring,” Steve snorted and offered a sugar cube to Spirit. She watched him curiously, before taking the cube and snuffing at his hand for more.

Thor chuckled as he patted her flank with a _whump_. “She’s already taken a liking to you.”

“I like her, too.” Steve was about to say more when he noticed Spirit ruffling her feathers in preparation of something. “Oh, woah—” 

All of a sudden, Spirit thrust out her wings and sent a gust of air in Thor’s direction. He lost his footing and crashed into Steve, and—out of pure instinct—Steve’s looped his arms around the god to protect him. 

“Um.” Steve’s face felt unnaturally hot when he realized the position they were in. When did his life start to become a cliché romance movie? “Hey.”

Thor’s cheekbones were dusted a light shade of pink. “Steven, I’m so sorry. It wasn’t my intention to—to invade your space. Spirit, you _scoundrel_.”

Spirit gently nudged Thor back, neighing cheekily when he shot her a reproachful look. “She’s usually well-behaved.” 

“It’s okay.” Steve laughed as he unwound his arms from Thor. _I don’t mind_ , he was about to say, but thought better of it in the last moment. “At least she didn’t bite.”

Spirit nickered and pawed at the ground to regain their attention. Using her nose, she pushed an empty bucket towards Thor.

Thor chuckled, picking the bucket up by the handle. “I believe she wants more apples. Will you accompany me to pick some?” 

Steve didn’t know why Thor even bothered asking; the answer was always yes. “Race you there?”

Thor’s eyes shined competitively. “You’re on.”

—

The orchard was teeming with ripe apples, the boughs of trees hanging low with the weight of them.

The air was sweet, rich with their fragrance, and...Steve was annoyed (completely unrelated to the apples).

“You can’t do that,” Steve managed, slumping against a tree for support and trying to catch his breath. “That’s cheating.” 

“Flying isn’t cheating,” Thor insisted and—just to irritate Steve further—started levitating. “I’m simply exercising my power.”

“Right.” Steve straightened up to cross his arms. “So say we were playing chess and I had telepathy to see your next move. Would it be cheating?”

“Those are different circumstances,” Thor said, grinning from ear to ear. He bumped the trunk of a tree with his shoulder, causing an apple to drop onto the palm of his open hand. “For example, just now I used my strength to get an apple.”

Steve copied Thor’s move, sighing as he caught the apple in mid-air. “Can we just get to picking?” 

“Yes, of course.” Thor laughed and sent another wave of apples raining down on them. Good thing he had a hard head (no, Steve wasn’t bitter). “That’s what we came here for.”

It didn’t take long for Steve to decide that picking apples in the shade next to Thor was one of his favorite memories with him. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i might not be able to update on monday!! i’ll be attending freshman orientation yuh
> 
> this chapter is kinda wild ajsjs also pls watch that 6 sec vid of chris evans singing pooh’s corner,, it’s so cute
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

The sand was soft in his cupped hands, spilling between Steve’s fingers like an hourglass measuring intervals of time.

Much to his annoyance, it painfully scraped the skin on his knees with every move. Steve had to periodically remind himself that he was doing this for a good cause. 

When he couldn’t tolerate the burn any longer, he took a break in the shade. As the serum worked its magic, Steve video-called—chatted, skyped, whatever—the Avengers. 

Tony was the first to update, discussing details about his upcoming wedding. “Pep doesn’t want a public one. Maybe we’ll just make an announcement or something. But all you lovely people? Front row seats to the ceremony.”

Bruce talked about rescuing civilians from a burning apartment. “The guy accidentally set fire to his kitchen while making spaghetti. How do you mess up spaghetti that badly?” 

Clint told him he was planning to move out of the Compound, introducing Lucky to the ‘farm life.’ “I just _know_ he’ll love it there! Plenty of room to run. Oh, say hi to Cap, Lucky!”  

Nat was exasperated that the kids refused to sleep unless Steve sang to them. Steve, albeit reluctantly, acquiesced and gave a small rendition of Pooh’s Corner.  

When they finally tuckered out, Nat hefted a long sigh and said, “I wish the kids were _that_ polite when you aren’t around.”

“Maybe you should show them one of my PSAs,” Steve said, moving out from under the shade to continue sifting sand.

“Where do you think they learned patience from?” Nat joked—or  _was_ she joking? It was hard to tell at times. “They love the hot lunch one.”

Steve contorted his face at the memory of filming in criminally tight spandex. Why _had_  he agreed to do those? “Yeah. Not really fond of that one. Or any of them.”

“What’re you doing, anyway?”

“Looking for seashells,” Steve answered, and, to prove his statement, dropped another shell into his mason jar with a loud clatter. “Is it a crime to?”

“I think it’s nice that you’re starting a hobby.”

“I’m not doing it for me,” Steve said, ignoring the ‘aww’ she made from her end of the line. “You know, it’s hard to find shells that aren’t broken.”

“Look at you trying to change the subject,” Nat teased, the smile evident in her voice. Steve, on the other hand, wanted to bury himself deep in the sand. “I’m sure Thor would appreciate both the whole and broken ones.” 

“You think so?” Steve finally looked up from his task—and then his eyes bugged at the sight that greeted him. “Nat, one of your kids is climbing the shelf.”

“Oh, no. Put on sunscreen, Steve. As for you, young lady, get down from there—”

The call ended abruptly. Steve snorted indignantly as he gathered another handful of sand. “I don’t need sunscreen.”

Soon enough, Steve discovered that he did, in fact, need sunscreen. Apparently, super soldier serum was ineffective against UV radiation.

—

When he tried to enter, Valkyrie held out a hand to halt him ( _that_ explained why she was posted in front of the door). “His Majesty isn’t expecting any visitors today.”

“Yeah?” Steve rose onto his toes in an attempt to look over her, but the one inch height difference between them somehow gave her an advantage. “Is he okay?”

“Frankly, no.” The barrel Valkyrie had been utilizing as a footrest shimmered a sickly green color, slowly transforming into...

“AHHHH!” Steve and Valkyrie screamed as Loki took shape in place of the barrel. Valkyrie wrenched her foot away and unsheathed her sword with a _shing,_ her eyes screaming bloody murder.

“Stop yelling,” Loki said, frowning when their screeching only increased in volume. It was a wonder Thor didn’t race over to see what all the commotion was about. “It’s me.” 

“That’s _why_ we’re yelling,” Valkyrie said as soon as her screams ceased, although her sword remained fully drawn. “Where have you been this entire time?” 

Loki’s smile was as sharp as her blade, curling wickedly at the corners. It reminded Steve of the first time he encountered the god, forcing innocents to kneel. “Do you honestly care?”

Loki’s smile dulled slightly at the following silence. “Precisely what I thought.”

Despite the bells ringing in his head, Steve lowered his fists. “Well, _I_ thought you died.” 

“I do that often,” Loki nonchalantly said, like it was a normal thing to. It probably was, for someone like him. “Will you grant us passage now?” 

Valkyrie sighed heavily and drained the last of her beer, carelessly tossing the bottle with a _crash_. “Fine. Fair warning: it’s not going to be pretty.”

Upon entering, nothing seemed unusual or out of the ordinary. Then Steve’s gaze traveled downwards, and…

Thor was curled into a miserable ball on the floor, surrounded by countless empty beer bottles. He was facing the other direction, but Steve could imagine how his face looked without difficulty.

“Your Majesty,” Valkyrie said, kneeling beside him to lightly touch his shoulder. He didn’t stir at the contact. “You have people who want to see you.”

“I told you, I’m in no state to socialize today.” Thor dislodged her hand with a shrug of his shoulder. “Leave me be.”

“Thor,” Steve called in the most gentle tone he could muster, carefully setting his foot down to avoid knocking over bottles. “Hey, buddy.”

Thor made a kicked puppy sound, like hearing Steve’s voice hurt. “Please, not today, Steven. I hope you understand.”

“Brother,” Loki tried, tracing Steve’s path in the beer bottle maze. “I know you feel terrible at the moment, but get up.”

“No, Loki,” Thor mumbled, then snapped his head up in realization. “Loki?! No, it can’t be. This must be an illusion...some sort of trick.”

“Not an illusion this time,” Loki said, lowering himself down to Thor’s level. “Hello, brother.” 

“I can’t believe it.” Thor hugged Loki so tightly that he wheezed (and only loosened his hold when Loki repeatedly smacked his shoulder like a cry for uncle). “You’re alive!” 

“You truly believed I would let myself fall into the hands of a Titan?” Loki scoffed, clearly offended by the thought. “Especially with a measly knife?”

Steve and Valkyrie stared at him. “What.”

“When will you ever learn?” Loki ignored them to smile tenderly and guided Thor to his feet. “Come. I heard the ocean glows at night. I want to experience it for myself.”

—

The ocean _did_ glow at night. 

Steve watched from the shore as the Odinson brothers frolicked in the luminous water, their laughter drowned out by the waves.

He smiled to himself at their antics, before capping the jar filled to the brim with seashells and rising to his full height. 

“Is that all?” Valkyrie asked when she saw him stand, discarding the excess shells in her hands and brushing the moist sand from her knees. 

“It’s more than we need.” Steve held the jar to the moonlight for her to see, the light reflecting off the glass. “Thanks for the help.” 

“Of course,” Valkyrie said—and then leisurely held her arms out to catch Loki in a princess carry? She raised an eyebrow down at the sheepish god. “ _What_ is going on here?”

“The hell,” was the only thing Steve could say to accurately encapsulate his emotions. 

“Ugh.” Loki squirmed out of Valkyrie’s hold and landed unceremoniously on the ground with a _splat_. “By _far_ one of the most humiliating moments of my life. I told you it wouldn’t work!”

Thor cackled like a witch and waded through the bioluminescent waves until he reached Steve. “What are you talking about? ‘Get help’ works every time!” 

It was then that he noticed the jar in Steve’s clutches, and he tipped his head to the side like a curious puppy. “Oh? What’s this? Are you starting a collection?”

“It’s for you,” Steve said, flushing under the looks Loki and Valkyrie directed to him. The smile on Thor’s face was definitely worth the embarrassment, though. 

“That’s very kind of you,” Thor said, his countenance brimming with amazement as he took the mason jar and gazed at its contents. “A splendid gift. I like it.” 

“More like a strange gift. What’s he going to do with the outer cases of an animal?” Loki furiously whispered to Valkyrie, who whispered back, ‘It’s the thought that counts.’

Steve was starting to have serious doubts about his gift. Why was it so difficult to appeal to Asgardians? “Did you know that if you hold a seashell to your ear, you can hear the ocean?”

“Really now?” Thor twisted the cap open to stick his hand inside and rummage around. “And it’s not because we’re right next to one?”

“Nope. Think of it as like a portable ocean.”

“Oh, please, it’s just a myth.” Loki rolled his eyes (despite accepting the offered shell from his brother). “Besides, I can’t sense any presence of magic.” 

“Magic isn’t needed for this,” Steve said, the muscle in his cheek twitching in vexation. “Just try it.”

All three Asgardians brought a shell to their ear, and after a moment of intense listening, simultaneously let out an awed ‘oooh.’ 

“How intriguing. I recant my statement,” Loki said, bending to pick up a shell near his foot. He yelped when a hermit crab emerged, dropping the crustacean in fear. 

Much to Loki’s displeasure, Thor and Valkyrie started to erupt into laughter. 

And seeing the pure happiness on Thor’s face made Steve feel like nothing was wrong with the universe.

—

“You have poor taste.”

Steve stopped mopping the floor to look at Loki, who wasn’t fulfilling his end of the chores. “In what?” 

“Potential partners.” Loki idly played with a knife in his hands (instead of washing the dishes like he should be). “You’re infatuated with my  _brother_. Really?”

Was it _that_ obvious? Steve set the mop aside to wash the dishes, watching the god in the bubbles that formed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It is.” Loki stared back at himwith a calculating look in his eyes. “You can have anyone you desire in the world, and yet you choose Thor.” 

“Well.” Steve rinsed off the soap and peered down at his reflection in the plate. “I could give you a thousand reasons why. I could go on and on about why I lo—like Thor.”

Steve turned slightly to smile at Loki. “Or I can just tell you this: I’m me, and he’s Thor. That’s all there is to it.”

“Hmm. I suppose.” Loki skillfully twirled the knife, light glinting dangerously off the blade. “Oh, and one last thing. Don’t hurt his feelings—”

“Or else you’ll stab me,” Steve finished the threat for him, turning back to the sink to rinse another plate. “Yeah, I know.” 

Loki tapped his chin in consideration with the blunt of his knife. “I was going to say, ‘He’s already suffered enough as it is,’ but that’s much better.”

Steve laughed lightly, glad that he’d earned Loki’s approval. “I’ll keep that in mind.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m not proud of this chapter,, but i hope next one makes up for it!!
> 
> i found time to post while currently at freshman orientation lmao
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

At their wedding, Tony cried more than Potts did.

Steve cried a _healthy_ amount. 

He slipped the decorative handkerchief out from his shirt pocket, blowing his stuffy nose and sounding oddly similar to an emotional elephant. 

Their vows were both heartwarming and abound with inside jokes. Steve didn’t understand any of their references, but Rhodes seemed to without much difficulty and occasionally laughed wetly beside him.

When they finally shared the long awaited kiss with the happiest smiles on their faces, Steve scraped back his plush chair to start the standing ovation.

—

Steve was perfectly content with just enjoying the eclectic array of food and watching the newlywed couple dance from the sidelines, which attributed to why he hadn’t expected _Sharon_ to slide into the open seat beside him with a polite smile. “Is this seat taken?”

“It is now,” Steve said, dragging his gaze away from Tony and Potts to settle onto her. She looked rather elegant in that dress, reminding him vaguely of Peggy. “Neighbor.”

Sharon laughed behind her wine glass, clearly amused. “You’re still hung up on that? I didn’t know Captain America held grudges.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Steve said, paraphrasing what Thor told him some time ago. “You enjoying yourself?” 

“Yeah.” Sharon gestured to the newly married engineer with her drink. Tony was currently dancing on top of a table with Rhodes (Wong looked like he regretted coming). “Stark sure knows how to throw a party. Cheers to him.”

“Cheers.” Steve lifted his own drink and silently wished he knew how to talk to women who weren’t Nat. “Have you found a, uh, dance partner yet?”

Sharon gave him a significant look. “I think I did.”

“That’s good,” Steve said, completely missing the way her smile fell because there was a hand suddenly gripping his shoulder. Could that be…? “Thor?”

“Hello,” Thor said gruffly to Sharon, literally moving Steve _and_ the chair behind him. He had a smile plastered to his face, and his grip was bordering on pain. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“No, we haven’t,” Sharon said slowly, glancing from the hand on Steve’s shoulder to Steve himself. “I’m guessing you’re Rogers’ dance partner?”

“Your guess is...” Thor trailed off as he spared Steve an uncertain look. Steve immediately nodded, still trying to fathom what was happening. “Correct.” 

“I had no idea. Have fun dancing, then.” Sharon’s smile returned, and she gave a coy wave. “Nice to meet you, Thor. I’m Sharon, by the way.” 

“Likewise, Sharon,” Thor said, watching her leave for a moment before easing the tension from his shoulders and turning to Steve. “I didn’t get the chance to ask you properly.” 

Steve blinked. “Ask me what?” 

Thor formally bowed and, with a charismatic smile, offered the hand that wasn’t squeezing Steve’s shoulder to him. “May I have this dance?” 

“With me?” Steve gave a backwards glance, as if he were expecting the question to be directed to someone else. But there was no one except him (and Loki, who was smirking several tables away). 

“Yes,” Thor said, although he looked somewhat uncertain.

“Come on,” Steve said in disbelief, half-convinced that this was all a dream and that he would wake up to an empty bed again. “I know you can do better than that.” 

Thor tipped his head to the side, slightly narrowing his eyes as though he were trying to figure Steve out. “Why are you belittling yourself?” 

“Because there’s better candidates than me,” Steve said, unsure of why he was trying to change Thor’s mind when he desperately wanted to accept. “Ask, I don’t know, Carol or Bruce.”  

“I wanted it to be you,” Thor said with a frown, and he started to move away in disappointment. “But if you don’t want to dance, then I won’t force you to.”

“Wait—” Without thinking, Steve grasped Thor’s hand and fuck, he should’ve thought about what to say. “I’ll dance with you.” 

“I’m happy to hear that.” Thor smiled in relief and adjusted their hands until their fingers were comfortably interlaced. “After you, then.” 

“What a gentleman,” Steve joked as he gently led Thor to the dance floor, feeling his stomach twinge with nerves. He hadn’t danced since the day future Thor taught him to—would this be any different? 

Only one way to find out.  

Steve turned on his heel to face Thor and tried to focus on anything _other_ than how handsome the god looked in a tailored suit. 

When a new song played and they actually started to dance, Steve was hit with a sense of déjà vu. It was just like riding a bike; the steps were second nature to him. 

That is, until Thor did an underarm turn, which future Thor _hadn’t_ taught him.

Steve almost tripped over his own feet at the unexpected spin, but Thor pulled him close to steady him and _oh_ , their faces were now mere inches apart.

“Not to worry, Steven,” Thor said with a reassuring smile. Steve could smell a faint hint of wine and sugary cake in his breath. “I’ve got you.”  

Steve made a small ‘pft,’ even as his chest tightened with longing to close the gap between them. “Smooth.” 

And after waltzing to another song for a while, Steve mustered the courage to rest his cheek on Thor’s shoulder, eyes slipping shut of their own accord. 

Thor chuckled lowly and leaned in to ask teasingly into Steve’s ear, “You getting sleepy, Captain? Should I escort you to a chair?” 

“Shut up.” Steve huffed a laugh against Thor’s shoulder at their ongoing sleep joke, before lifting his head to peer up into Thor’s eyes. “So, camping’s next on the list. Do you, maybe, wanna share a tent with us?” 

Thor smiled and dropped his gaze to Steve’s. No matter how many times he saw Thor’s eyes, they were always stunning to him. “I don’t see why not. It’ll be just like the old times: all six of us, with the threat of danger looming by.”

“Five,” Steve said, pondering about the ‘threat of danger’ comment. What exactly did he mean by that? “Tony’s got his own tent with Potts.” 

“All five of us,” Thor corrected, purposefully twirling Steve again. This time, Steve was prepared and moved with more grace. “Will there be enough room for that many?” 

Steve did some fast calculations as he faced Thor once more. “As long as Bruce doesn’t Hulk out, I think we’ll be fine.”  

“That’d be an interesting turn of events,” Thor said with a lively sparkle in his eye, and all of the sudden, Steve felt the compelling urge to tug Thor close by the tie and kiss the grin off his countenance.  

Instead of doing any of the above, Steve changed partners—and inhaled sharply when Carol took Thor’s place.  

He hadn’t had a one-on-one interaction with her yet; it was crucial that he _had_ to leave a good impression.  

Steve cleared his throat and opened his mouth to compliment her suit, but it was at that moment that his voice decided to fail him. 

Nice. The _perfect_ first impression. 

Carol lifted an eyebrow and pulled her mouth up into an amused smile as _she_ led _him_ across the ballroom. “Cat got your tongue?”  

“Yeah, I kinda want it back.” Steve tried to take the lead and was, unsurprisingly, unsuccessful. “Do you and Thor happen to, uh...”

“Have a thing?” Carol finished for him, laughing like he’d just told her the funniest joke in existence. “Yeah. It’s called friendship?”

Steve’s relief must’ve been visible because she gave a playful roll of her eyes. “Don’t worry, Cap. He’s all yours.” 

“Good to know, Cap.” 

They exchanged a smile with one another, before she twirled Steve back into Thor’s waiting arms. Steve greeted him with a, “Hey there. Miss me?” 

“Surely.” Thor’s eyes darkened a small fraction. “You were on my mind the entire time you were gone. Mostly because the sweet rabbit made a formidable dance partner.”  

“No way. You danced with _Rocket_?” Steve asked with a barely contained snort, and he spent the rest of the evening listening to Thor’s brief story about his dance with Rocket. 

—

Steve sprawled across the sleeping bag he called dibs on, relieved to be free of his constricting suit and dressed in more comfortable nightwear. “Man, I’m spent.” 

“I hear you, man.” Clint collapsed onto his own sleeping bag, tangling his legs with Nat. “I love a good party, but most days I’ve been really…”  

“Tired,” Steve finished for him, feeling his bones grow weary with each passing minute. He gets it; they all had a tacit understanding that the Snap drained their hopes and energy. 

“If only we had a magic lamp, or a…” Clint’s eyes nearly doubled in size, and he shot up to look at Steve (promptly startling a snoozing Bruce). “Time travel machine! Are you guys making one in New Asgard?” 

Steve wiggled into his sleeping bag and willed his eyes to close, feeling wistfulness claw up his throat. God, he missed future Thor. “Not that I know of.”  

“It’ll happen when it happens,” Nat said, gently pushing Clint to lay back down and shifting into a sitting position when he did. It reminded Steve of a pulley system. “We can think about it tomorrow. Today, we’re enjoying Tony’s special day.” 

“I agree,” Bruce mumbled sleepily from his corner of the tent. “Did anyone try the tacos? They were really good.” 

“I personally liked the cheeseburgers more,” Nat said, closing her eyes to probably recall the taste. “Tony really outdid himself with them.” 

“No way! The _pizza_ was the best,” Clint disagreed, sitting up again in mock outrage. “You guys have bad taste. Cap, what do you think?” 

They all turned to face Steve—except he wasn’t there anymore. There was only the open flap of the tent to indicate he’d left.

Clint stared at the spot Steve was previously in, before asking, “What does he have against food?”

“I don’t think food has anything to do with why he left,” Bruce elucidated helpfully, zipping his sleeping bag further up against the sudden chill.  

Nat smiled as she quietly closed the flap. “He left to find Thor.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning!! rated m ajsjs this is the closest i can get to smut,, but oof here’s a long chapter
> 
> i'm so excited for thor 4!! it's thor's cinematic universe baby
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

The crackle of the campfire was the only sound amidst the stillness of the forest (that, and Steve’s too-loud-footsteps crunching leaves).

Thor was currently roosting on a fallen log, resting his forearms on his knees and staring blankly at the embers. He must’ve been deep in thought, because he didn’t spare Steve a glance when Steve settled beside him. 

“Hey,” Steve called, knocking their knees together. “Doing okay? You’re missing out on some really insightful conversations about food.”

Thor stoked the fire with kindling, his expression forlorn. After another minute of feeding more fuel to the fire, he said quietly, “Steven, I don’t deserve to be here.” 

“What’re you talking about?” Steve asked, genuinely confused. That was unexpected; one moment he was all smiles, and the next he was melancholic. “Sure you do.”

“You don’t understand.” Thor stopped messing with the fire to look at him. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I let my hubris cloud my judgement. If I hadn’t been so determined to gloat, Thanos would’ve been dead by now, and half the population wouldn’t.”

“You know that’s not true,” Steve said, wondering where all of this was coming from. Did he still take it personally, even though it’s been years since the Snap? 

“I _do_ know that it’s my fault,” Thor contended, glaring down at his hands as though he’d committed a heinous crime. “I don’t understand how any of you can bear to speak to me, let alone look.”

“It’s _not_ your fault.” Steve reached out to take one of Thor’s white-knuckled hands, threading their fingers to force his hand to relax. “If anyone were to take the blame, it’s Thanos.” 

“Tell me. Do you know how much it hurts to wake up and know trillions are gone because of you?” Thor looked like he was on the verge of crying, eyes starting to glisten with tears. “To live, day to day, with that guilt constantly at the back of your mind? It makes me wish I couldn’t feel anything.”  

“Hey,” Steve said gently, throat tightening at the blatant display of survivor’s guilt. How did no one see this before? Why didn’t _he_ see this before? “You feel things so intensely because you’re a good person...but even a good person makes mistakes. You gotta forgive yourself and accept it happened.” 

Steve leaned in, telegraphing his intention to move closer. When Thor didn’t pull away, Steve used his free hand to brush the tears from Thor’s eyes with a small smile. “That’s the only way to start again.” 

And then he pressed his lips to Thor’s, putting _years_ of longing and love into the kiss—to show him what he couldn’t in words.  

Thor made a half-choked sound, his hand spasming in Steve’s. He didn’t kiss back—it was like he was simply taking it—but he groaned lowly into Steve’s mouth.  

Thor broke the kiss to rest their foreheads together, screwing his eyes shut and working his jaw. After a long, long while, he said Steve’s name in a shaky breath. 

“Sorry.” Steve slid his hand out of Thor’s to cradle the god’s face instead. Thor’s eyes stayed glued shut. “I shouldn’t have done that. This is a really serious moment and I just—” 

“Steven.” Thor finally opened his eyes. His pupils were blown up and dilated like a black hole. “It feels like you’ve kissed me before.”

Steve smiled, thinking about future Thor—no, this _is_ future Thor. They’re one and the same. “I had practice.” 

When Steve tried to kiss him again, Thor slid a hand over Steve’s mouth and placed a respectable distance between them. The expression on his face was...conflicted.  

Steve circled Thor’s wrist with his fingers and drew the appendage away, worried that he’d made the wrong move. “Thor?”

“I want you to tell me the truth,” Thor said, looking askance. The fire casted an ominous shadow over his face. “Please, promise me you’ll tell nothing but the truth.”

Steve blinked. “What makes you think I’m not telling the truth?” 

Thor met his eyes again and set his jaw in defiance. “ _Promise_ me. I don’t think I can take any more lies. ” 

“...I promise.”

“Good.” Thor straightened his posture and exhaled slowly, before asking, “I want to know: am I Blake?” 

“What?” Steve asked, even though he’d heard him loud and clear. 

“Am I Donald Blake?” Thor repeated. Steve didn’t need to answer—his expression told him what he needed. 

And instead of reacting explosively like he’d expected him to, Thor merely smiled. “As I suspected.” 

Steve gaped at him. He’d been bracing himself for an argument, not...this. “You knew?”

“You’d have to be ignorant not to notice.” Thor lifted his shoulders up into an easy shrug. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

It was Steve’s turn to drop his gaze to his hands, feigning interest in his cuticles. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want me. Better to save myself the trouble, right?”

Thor’s face softened with a memory. “Steven, I’ve wanted you since…”

He cut himself off with a sharp ‘ahem’ and restarted. “In my old age, I’ve fought alongside many people and known countless honors. But the greatest honor has been fighting beside you, knowing you’re by my side.” 

Thor took Steve’s hand, his grip warm and steady. “When I realized I was Blake, it was surreal to me. I was devastated because I’d lost so much and gained so little, but when I looked at my reflection, it was as though all my anger melted away.” 

Thor absentmindedly felt along Steve’s knuckles, like he was mapping his hand. It was hard to concentrate on what Thor was saying when he touched him so. “The only thing on my mind was you...why you would choose me when I failed continuously.”

Steve recalled his conversation with Loki some time ago. _You can have anyone you desire in the world, and yet you choose Thor_. “It doesn’t matter to me how many times you’ve failed or succeeded.” 

Thor’s eyelashes lowered as he gazed warmly at Steve. Gingerly skimming his lips over Steve’s cheek, he murmured against his skin, “Steven, you’re too good to me. You love so deeply, and I’m humbled by it—that you give love so unconditionally yet ask nothing in return.” 

“ _I’m_ too good to you? It’s the other way around, buddy.” Steve laughed wetly (when did he start crying?). “But I only ask for one thing.”

Much to his surprise, Thor was crying, too. Tear drops were plopping down onto their clasped hands, but Steve couldn’t care less. “What’s that? Anything you want—it’s yours.” 

Steve didn’t know when his voice started to break, either. His heart felt as if it were caving in like a stack of cards. “I just want you to return that love. That’s all I want.”  

“Of course.” Thor finally returned his kiss, sealing their lips together and keeping the happy sob from ripping up Steve’s throat. “It’ll happen with time.”

—

An intense makeout session led to them literally crashing into a (thankfully) empty tent. 

Steve was already nude and was tugging at Thor’s shirt like a drowning man desperate for air. Suddenly, Thor had one too many layers of clothes on. “Need this off.”  

Thor had the audacity to chuckle, pulling the pesky article of clothing over his head and stripping down in one fluid motion. “Patience, Steven.”

“Can’t be patient when you’re involved.” Steve kissed hungrily at Thor’s jaw, reveling in the way the god’s mouth slackened with a pant. “ _Come on_.”

“I want to savor this.” Thor mouthed along his neck up to the sensitive spot under his ear. “Beautiful.”

“My ear?” Steve joked, thighs spreading wider to accommodate Thor when he settled between his legs. 

“Yes. You have a fine ear.” Thor huffed hot air over the shell of Steve’s ear and gazed down at him with unadulterated adoration as he said, lovingly, “Your beard is itchy.” 

“Shut up.” Steve snorted in laughter, before winding his arms around Thor’s neck and rubbing their cheeks to scrape their beards together. “Yours is, too. Hurry up already.”

Steve had only a second to wonder what Thor used as a lubricant because everything started to  _burn_ and oh, god, it was too much. He regretted egging him on.

“You’re taking me well,” Thor murmured on the contrary, hooking a hand under Steve’s thigh to move deeper inside. His brow furrowed when Steve clenched at the intrusion. “No, Steven, relax—” 

Steve released a low whimper and scored his nails down Thor’s back, making him grunt at the pain. “ _Christ_ , Thor.”

“Shh, beloved.” Thor kissed him to swallow his loud cries, his breathing uneven but his languid movements kept steady. “We don’t want the others to hear.” 

The last thing on his mind was the others hearing because this hurt almost as much as _receiving the serum did_. 

It took a while, but it finally started to hurt less and to feel amazing. Steve found that he couldn’t get enough of it, meeting each of Thor’s thrusts and hanging his mouth open at the sudden spike in pleasure. 

Thor nosed affectionately at Steve’s throat and, without warning, _bit_ down like a claim. It’s what drove Steve over the edge—his body trembled immensely and he came untouched.  

“There we go,” Thor husked, fucking him through his orgasm. The combination of his voice and Steve’s recent climax pooled warmth into his stomach like honey. “You’re wonderful.” 

“Mmm.” Steve smiled tiredly and tipped his head back, closing his eyes as he let Thor use him. He felt weightless in the afterglow. “Take as long as you want.”

Saying that was probably a bad idea, seeing as they both had short refractory periods, and, well, Thor didn’t finish inside him until the sun came up. 

—

As sunlight poured into the tent, Steve stretched lazily—and froze when he couldn’t feel the weight of his necklace against his collarbone. 

“Shit.” He frantically patted at his bare chest, and when he _still_ couldn’t find it, started to sweep his hands across the floor of the tent. “Shit, shit, shit—”

“Looking for this?” Something cold pressed into his palm. Steve sagged in relief and cradled the necklace in his hands, skimming his thumb over the engraved initials. 

Thor was ‘discreetly’ watching him out of the edge of his vision, an unreadable expression on his face. 

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost it,” Steve breathed and carefully set the necklace around his neck before leaning over to peck Thor’s cheek. “Morning, sweetheart.”

“Good morning, my dear.” Thor hummed and turned Steve’s face with a hand to properly kiss him. “There’s hot chocolate and sandwiches for breakfast.”

“Sounds good.” Steve smoothed out their rumpled clothes and, just because he _could_ , lightly brushed his knuckles over Thor’s cheekbones. “See you there?”

Thor caught his hand and placed a kiss to his wrist. “See you there.”

—

Steve cupped the hot mug between his palms, enjoying the wisps of steam wafting onto his face. He was leaning against Thor, their arms linked together. 

Their public display of affection didn’t go unnoticed—Clint whooped and Nat patted his cheek with a proud smile as she passed by. 

Bruce was currently wolfing down a sandwich, making appreciative noises as he ate. He swallowed his mouthful, before mumbling, “Did anyone sleep well last night?”

“No.” Nebula held her standard poker face as she pointedly looked at Steve and Thor. Steve felt his face heat up. “It must’ve been Rocket.”

“What musta been me?” Rocket asked, poking his head out of a tent. His ears perked up as he sniffed the air and scrambled out to investigate. “And what smells good?” 

“Me,” Tony said as he poured another mug of hot chocolate and handed it to Carol, who was making insistent grabby hands. “Want some? Wait, can Build-a-Bear have chocolate?”

“Just gimme it,” Rocket said, swiping the cup from Tony’s hand and taking a long sip. “Ah. That’s the good stuff.” 

It was nice to spend the day with people he cared about, sitting at a smoldering campfire and just enjoying each other’s company. They started sharing stories, pretending the involved persons were still alive. 

Steve occasionally laughed and glanced at Thor every once in a while, making sure he didn’t spiral into a random bout of sadness. 

Luckily, Thor seemed to be fine, although he would stare into the forest with an ominous look in his eyes. 

“Hey,” Steve said in a low voice, nudging Thor with his elbow. He set down his mug to hold Thor’s face in his hands, forcing him to maintain eye contact. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Thor placed his hands over Steve’s, smiling rather thinly. “Something just feels...off. That’s all.”

“I get that sometimes,” Steve said, pulling away to pick up his mug again (which had now grown cold). “Let’s enjoy this while it lasts.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i came across this post and it makes so much sense for thor?? 
> 
> https://peterssquill.tumblr.com/post/184773427806/i-really-think-thor-clints-storylines-should
> 
> also phase 4 sounds amazing!! it all feels like a fever dream ajsjd 
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Not even a week after Tony’s wedding, they received an emergency call from Carol. “Thanos just used the Stones. We have to act _now_.” 

The common room was thrown into chaos. Steve lunged to his feet, maintaining a calm demeanor despite the ice-cold apprehension coursing through his veins. “Suit up. Gather as many people as you can—we’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

In the meantime, he changed into his stealth suit and braced himself for the impending battle. 

—

As he boarded the Benatar, Steve mentally took attendance: everyone but Tony, Clint, Loki, Valkyrie, and Okoye were present and accounted for.

Shit, down by five. 

Rocket was punching buttons on a control panel when he’d entered and when Steve finally claimed a seat, the raccoon paused to regard his audience. “Okay, who here hasn’t been to space?”

Nat, Rhodes, and Steve slowly raised their hands. 

“You better not throw up on my ship.” Rocket adjusted the controls again and strapped on his seatbelt. Wait, what? Steve didn’t have one. “Alright, approaching jump in 3, 2, 1.”

Just as Steve grasped onto the armrests, the aircraft lurched forward through a wormhole. And what greeted them on the other side was…strangely beautiful.

He found that he couldn’t look away. The shifting hues of red, yellow, and blue reminded him of the Aurora Borealis. 

The Benatar hit a honeycombed barrier and started to gradually decelerate. A planet that resembled a saturated Earth loomed before them—along with Carol, glowing and fully enveloped with power. “I’ll head down for recon.”

Steve nearly jumped when a hand intertwined with his, only relaxing when he saw that it was Thor. Thor squeezed gently, and Steve returned the gesture with a small smile. 

When she returned, Carol sounded rather perplexed through the comms. “No satellites, no ships, no armies, no ground defenses of any kind. It’s just him.”

“Good.” Steve peered out the window, as if he could see Thanos from where he was sitting. “Let’s go get this son of a bitch.”

—

They were too late.

Steve glared at the mutilated Titan kneeling at his mercy. The empty gauntlet absent of Stones was mockingly staring right back at them. “Where are they?”

When Thanos didn’t answer, Carol tightened her hold around his neck. “Answer the question!”

“The universe required correction,” Thanos struggled to choke out against Carol's arm. “After that, the stones served no purpose...beyond temptation.”

Steve gritted his teeth, barely containing the urge to sock him in the chin like he did way back when. “I said _where_ are they, not what their purpose is.” 

“Gone,” Thanos said calmly, as if he hadn’t just destroyed the most powerful objects in the universe. “Reduced to atoms.” 

“You used them thirty minutes ago!” Bruce exclaimed. No one bothered to stop the punch aimed directly at Thanos’ burned face, instead releasing their hold to watch him collapse onto the floor. 

“I used the Stones to destroy the Stones. It nearly killed me. But the work is done. It always will be.” Thanos attempted to push himself up to sneer at their faces. “I am...inevitable.”

Without warning, Thor roared in outrage and swung Stormbreaker with all his might, chopping Thanos’ head off with a sickening spurt of blood. 

Nebula touched the droplet of blood that landed on her cheek with her fingers.

“What—what did you do?” Rocket asked Thor, who looked horrified at his own act. 

Thor didn’t stop staring at Thanos’ beheaded body until he said in a broken voice, “I went for the head.”

With that, Thor ambled out of Thanos’ home. No one stopped him—not even Steve. 

—

The ragtag team were discussing the logistics of their next plan while Steve was absentmindedly staring out the window. 

He’d been unintentionally tuning out their conversation when he noticed Thor abruptly stand and storm outside.

“Thor!” Tony called in a futile attempt to stop him, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger when he didn’t. “Damnit. Someone call him back.” 

“Is he okay?” Steve asked, watching Thor drop down onto a bench with so much force that it shook under his weight. 

“He’s pissed,” Rocket said. “Thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but there’s a lot of that going around, ain’t there?”

“Aright.” Steve left his place at the table to follow after Thor. “I’ll go.” 

Thor didn’t glance up—nor offer a greeting—when Steve settled down beside him. Instead, he plucked at the cuff of his jacket sleeves with seething eyes and grumbled, “I thought if I’d killed him, I’d feel less responsible. Look how that turned out.”

“You did everything you could,” Steve said, flicking his gaze back to the Avengers, who were slumped over the table with miserable looks on their countenances. “We all did.” 

“It wasn’t enough.” Thor inclined his head in shame as he hunched his shoulders. “ _I_ wasn’t enough.”

“You’re more than enough.” Steve reached out a hand to take Thor’s, pouring every ounce of his feelings into the relatively simple action. He could only hope that Thor understood the weight behind the gesture. “I know everything’s gonna work out in the end.”

“It won’t.” Thor wrenched his hand free and stood up with a scowl. “It _won’t_ work out if we subject ourselves to sitting around and doing _nothing_.”

Steve hurried to his feet, alarmed at Thor’s sudden change in demeanor. “Where are you going?” 

Thor turned his back on him. “Where I must.” 

—

It felt like Thor leaving him all over again. 

Steve kept track of time with how many birthdays Morgan had until it became too much to handle. 

 —

It happened unexpectedly. 

Steve was unpacking all his belongings in the Compound when live footage manifested in front of him.

The box cutter in his hand clattered to the ground.  

It was Scott—who’d been _Snapped_ —waving his arms at the camera with a van as his backdrop. “Uh...hi. Hi! Is anyone home? This is Scott Lang. I’m an Avenger sometimes?” 

As Steve rushed to the front gate, Scott was attempting to use voice recognition and scratched at his head in confusion, mumbling, ‘Lang? Scott Lang? No, Ant Man!’ 

“Scott?” Steve asked in bewilderment (despite hearing the man confirm his identity seconds before). “How—you’re alive?”

“Captain America!” Scott’s eyes lit up as he tried to reach him through the bars. “Oh, man, am I  _so_ glad to see you! I mean, I’m always glad to see you, but anyway, there’s something I need to tell you.” 

Steve immediately let him in.

—

“Time works differently in the Quantum Realm; the only problem is right now, we don’t have a way to navigate it.” Scott paused to chomp on Nat’s sandwich. “But what if we did? What if there was a way to enter the Quantum Realm at a certain point in time, but then exit at another point in time? Like—like before Thanos.”

“So like a time machine,” Steve recapitulated as he exchanged a knowing look with Nat. 

“No, not a time machine. It’s more like a…” Scott stopped chewing to consider a more suitable word. “Yeah, a time machine. I know it’s crazy, but I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“We get emails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore,” Nat piped in, pointedly glancing at Steve for his input and nudging at his foot. “Right, Steve?”

“Right.” Steve blew air through his mouth, before saying, “It’s not crazy. I know it’ll work.”

Scott gaped at him. “You do? Like, you absolutely know that it’ll work for sure?” 

“Yeah. It’s a long story.” Steve rubbed at the back of his neck. “Basically, Thor from 2023 found me in 2012.”

“So _that’s_ what you needed the Pym Particles for!” Scott threw his hands up in delight. “Awesome. We just need someone we can talk to about this.”

Steve smiled. “I think I know someone.”

—

Tony refused to help.

 _Professor Hulk_ tried to. 

—

Steve glanced up as an Audi R8 screeched towards him, blasting a Brittney Spears song out loud.

The vehicle passed him, then slowly reversed until _Tony_ could roll down the window to look Steve square in the eyes. “Hold on, let me guess: he turned into a baby.”

“Among other things, yeah.” Steve shrugged nonchalantly, before realization dawned on him. “Wait, what are you doing here?”

“Excusez-moi,” Tony said as he stepped out of his car with flair, unnecessarily slamming the door shut. “This is my Compound. You’re all just living here.”

“Of course,” Steve said, quite dubiously.

“That’s the EPR paradox, bee-tee-dubs,” Tony said, fidgeting with a familiar band on his wrist. “Instead of pushing _Lang_ through time, you wound up pushing _time_ through Lang.”

“Oh.” Steve felt slightly embarrassed (on Bruce’s behalf). 

“Remember when I worked on Thor’s watch?” Tony held up the hand with a device similar to Thor’s on it. “Turns out it’s a Time-Space GPS.”

Without waiting for Steve's response, Tony popped open the trunk of his car. “I gotta tell you my priorities. Bring back what we lost? I hope, yes. Keep what I got? I have to—at all costs. Maybe not die trying would be nice.”

“Sounds like a deal to me.”

Tony ducked out from the trunk with...paintings in his hands? Steve felt his throat close up when he realized they were the paintings he and Thor created ages ago.  

The first one was of Thor’s eyes—the painting he’d made. The second one was the Avengers as stick figures, with stick figure Steve and Thor holding hands—the painting Thor had made.

Steve felt his eyes water as he gently traced the lines of Thor’s painting with the tips of his fingers, as if he were afraid that he would ruin it if he applied more pressure. “Where did you get these?”

“I found them when I was cleaning out the old Tower.” Tony looked like he regretted giving him the paintings. “You’re welcome.”

“Thank you, Tony,” Steve susurrated, tucking the paintings safely under his arm. “I owe you big time.” 

“Nah, don’t mention it.” Tony removed his sunglasses and smiled. “Let’s do a test run and, fingers crossed, avoid making Scott a baby.”

—

The test run worked. It’ll take them a while to gather the whole team.

Steve volunteered to get Thor.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry the fire analogy sucks ajsjs
> 
> also instead of losing the tesseract, they got it!! endgame came out so i couldn’t include the steve vs steve fight scene,, 
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Rain cascaded down his umbrella in a veil, blurring the world around him.

The only thing in focus was the figure with his back faced to Steve, silhouetted by lamplight. Both blood and rain trickled slowly down his axe.

The figure wiped the blade clean with his sleeve, as if to hide what he’d done, before grumbling, “You shouldn’t be here, Steven.”

“I’m not here for fun.” Steve’s hand trembled, and he tightened his grip on his umbrella. _Keep it together_. “I’m here for you.”

“I reckon a plan has been made?”

“Yeah. We’re going back in time.” Steve silently pleaded for Thor to turn around—to be able to see his face again. “We’re making our own gauntlet to reverse the Snap.”

Thor continued to stare off into the far distance. “And when is that?”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

Luckily, Scott had gone back in time to collect more Pym Particles—meaning _more_ chances to make and to fix mistakes. 

When Thor _finally_ turned, he looked...utterly defeated. The expression on his face tugged at Steve’s heart strings. “I don’t know if I’m ready—if I ever will be ready.” 

“It’s okay.” Steve smiled reassuringly. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. That includes helping us.” 

Thor was silent for a while; then, he waded through the puddles until he was close enough for Steve to count his eyelashes. 

And instead of rejecting Steve like he was expecting him to, Thor slowly lowered himself to rest his head on the plane of Steve’s chest. “Can I lay here?”

“Yeah. Of course.” Steve kissed the crown of Thor’s hair and combed his fingers through the wet strands. “For as long as you need.”

Thor loosely clutched at Steve’s back and slipped his eyes shut. Steve’s heart swelled at the display of trust. “Thank you.”

The umbrella fell to the pavement as Steve wound his arms around Thor’s shoulders and pillowed his cheek on top of the god’s head. 

Without the veil of rain obscuring his vision, he could see the building behind Thor more clearly now. It was the mound of rubble from 2012, now fully repaired. 

“I don’t know what you see in me,” Thor whispered above the pattering of the rain, drawing his attention back. 

“I see a man of fire. He burns bright, but each day his flames start to dwindle. He doesn’t tell anyone, because he doesn’t want anyone to know that he’s fading away.” Steve smiled tightly, despite knowing Thor couldn’t see him. “He would rather extinguish than ask for fuel, even if the fuel is right in front of him.” 

Thor sniffled, pulling away to look at Steve. And there it was, in his eyes: the dying fire. “I think I’m ready now. Is it too late to say yes?”

Steve tentatively pressed his lips to Thor’s forehead. “No.”

“You missed,” Thor said, and before Steve could ask what he meant, Thor surged to his full height and kissed the water droplets from Steve’s lips. 

Steve felt his heart pound like the sudden clap of thunder above. The hollowness in his chest filled, and he felt whole again.

When they separated to catch their breaths, Steve leaned their foreheads together and made a soft, broken noise that had some semblance to Thor’s name. 

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Thor whispered, cupping Steve’s cheek with a cold hand. “I promise I won’t leave you again.” 

“Better keep it,” Steve said, blinking rapidly to keep the rain from running into his eyes (just kidding—they’re tears). “It’s a pain in the ass to find you.”

Thor laughed—a sound Steve wanted to hear over and over again—and kissed the tears off his face. “But you found me, beloved.”  

—

“Gauntlet 2.0?” Steve asked as they crowded around the circular platform, taking their places with their assigned teams.  

Tony ticked the invisible list in his hand. “Check.”

“Watches?” 

Everyone lifted their matching watches. It vaguely reminded Steve of friendship bracelets. “Check.”

“Avengers?” 

Nat did a quick headcount and gave a nod of affirmation. “Check.”

“Snacks?” Scott asked, and they all turned to fix him with a certain look. He smiled helplessly under their attention.

Steve frowned and counted on his fingers. Nope, no snacks. “That’s not on the list.”

“What if we get hungry?” Clint asked, attempting to back up Scott. The two exchanged a thumbs up.

“Hopefully, we won’t need to stay long enough to get hungry.” Steve straightened up his posture and cleared his throat. “Alright. We have a plan.”

“The pep talk!” Scott whispered excitedly, probably unaware that Steve could hear him. Everyone shushed him.

“Six stones. Three teams. Several tries.” Steve glanced down at the extra Pym Particles clipped to his utility belt, before glancing up again. “Five years ago, we lost. We lost friends, family, and a part of ourselves.” 

The Avengers hung their heads, as if in mourning. Steve paused for a brief moment, then continued.

“Today, we’ve gotta chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones,” Steve gestured to one side of the room, then to the other. “Get them back.” 

“Be careful. Look out for each other,” Steve said, glancing at each individual until his gaze ended with Thor’s. “This is the fight of our lives. And we’re gonna win.” 

“Whatever it takes.” Steve held his fist out, and they all joined in for a group cheer. “Good luck.” 

“He’s pretty good at that,” Rocket admitted. “I feel like we should give a round of applause.” 

“Right?!” Scott easily agreed with a joyous grin. 

Before Steve could retract his hand, Thor caught it and brushed a kiss to his knuckles. “I’ll see you soon.”  

“See you in a minute!” Nat called when each team manifested their helmets.  

“Countdown to 1,” Bruce warned in advance and hovered a hand over the controls. “3, 2, 1!”

— 

Seeing 2012’s New York was more disorienting than experiencing the Quantum Realm.

“Alright.” Steve tamped down the wave of nostalgia to address his group. “We all have our assignments. Stick to the plan.”

“Rogers that.”

They split ways. As Steve pulled on his HYDRA agent disguise, he asked into the comms, “Tony, how are we looking?”

“Sexy, but not like we’re trying too hard. Like, sure, we’re trying, but it’s almost effortless.”

Steve peered around the corner to check Rumlow and his team’s location. _So far so good_. “I meant with our past selves.”

“In that case, gotta hustle Cap. They’re just about wrapped up here.” 

“Copy.” Steve waited with bated breath as Rumlow’s team passed by and smoothly merged in the rear after the last agent. 

“By the way, I almost forgot that that suit did _nothing_ for your ass.”

“No one asked you to look, Tony,” Steve muttered while they boarded the elevator. He attempted to appear as nondescript as possible when several agents looked at him.

“I think you look great, Cap!” Scott piped up supportively. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s America's ass.”

The elevator rumbled to a stop and slid open with a _ding_ , pouring out HYDRA agents (including Steve).

Sitwell indicated to the scepter in past Nat’s hold with a nod. “We can take that off your hands.” 

Steve secured the scepter into a briefcase (and feigned innocence at the agent who was tasked with doing so).

He was about to fabricate a lie when past Steve walked by, oblivious to his future self standing less than five feet away. “On my way down to coordinate search and rescue.” 

Past Loki conjured an illusion of Steve and mockingly parroted his words. “I mean, honestly! How do you think you’ll be—”

Past Thor snapped a device over Loki’s mouth. “Shut up.”

Steve smiled under his helmet and picked up the briefcase.  

“All right, Cap,” Tony said, most likely moving towards the lobby for the Tesseract. “This is where we split. Meet you at the rendezvous.”

—

Steve was en route to the lobby when a familiar voice called out to him. “Captain?” 

He froze in his tracks and turned to see past Thor, who he’d be _beyond_ happy to see under different circumstances. 

Thor regarded him for a long moment, like he was contemplating something, before saying, “No, you are not my Steven.”

Steve didn’t try bothering to lie to him. “What gave it away? The beard?”

“The way you look at me, as though I placed every star in the sky,” Thor said, watching him with a curious expression. After finding whatever he was searching for in Steve’s face, he added, “And yes, the beard.”  

Steve blinked slowly, as if _just_ realizing how he was gazing at Thor. He smiled abashedly, before holding the briefcase to Thor’s eye level. “You’re not gonna try to take this from me, are you?” 

“No. I know you are here for a reason.” Thor returned his smile—although less abashedly and more cordially. “I wish you luck on your endeavors.”

“Thank you.” Steve gently touched Thor’s face and kissed his cheek. It made sense now, what his Thor had said a while ago: _I’ve wanted you ever since…_

Steve stepped away and suppressed the urge to smile at the shock on Thor’s face. Turning back in the direction of the lobby, he brought a hand up in farewell. “Good luck dealing with Loki.”

— 

“Got the cube?” Steve whispered under his breath to Tony, who was holding an identical briefcase.  

“Yep.” Tony nodded to indicate at the briefcase in Steve’s hand. “Got the scepter?” 

“Double yep.” 

A miniature-sized Scott hopped onto Steve’s shoulder with excitement. “Time heist success! Back to HQ it is.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the second section is from thor’s pov!! instead of hela destroying mjolnir, i guess thor took it ajsjs 
> 
> also, i accidentally came out to my bro and i’m honestly surprised he was so accepting??
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

No matter how many times he counted and recounted, the number of Avengers remained the same. 

“Where is he?” Steve demanded at the guilty faces actively avoiding his gaze. “Where’s Thor? Rocket, Loki, he was supposed to be with you.”  

 _He was supposed to be okay._  

“We don’t know, alright?!” Rocket snapped back at him, waving around the device that contained the Aether. “We just got what we came for and hightailed it outta there.” 

“I’m sure Thor is fine,” Loki said, reassuring absolutely no one and _especially_ not Steve. If anything, his worry worsened _tenfold_. “My brother is capable. He has extra Particles, isn’t that right?”

 _No, no, no_. Steve buried his face in his hands, feeling his resolve weaken. Why did the universe keep trying to take Thor away from him? 

“I got a signal!” Bruce called like a beacon of hope, and Steve jerked his head up so quickly that he startled the nearest persons beside him.

Without waiting for another response, Steve activated his watch. 

—

Thor gazed in wonderment at the band of blue light, slowly but surely transforming into Steven. The glow seemed to transfer to his beloved, casting him in an aura of light. 

Steven was a sight to behold: broad shoulders and rigid muscles, yet soft curves and a narrow waist; his dusky brown hair, slowly receding into its natural gold; his sometimes blue and sometimes green eyes, alternating as though unable to decide on a color. 

Thor could stare at him forever and never grow tired of what he saw. 

And when his beloved’s blue-green gaze drifted to Thor’s, it was as though a floodgate opened—every emotion crashed over him in a tidal wave. 

“Thor!” Steven cried his name and launched himself into Thor’s arms (as though he knew with every fiber of his being that Thor would catch him). 

Steven’s angelic laugh filled his ears while Thor spun him around, and he framed Thor’s face between his hands to kiss him for all he was worth. 

Thor desired nothing more than to kiss him for eternity—to show that he was worth more than any treasure.

“I thought—” Steven managed, breaking the kiss far too soon to shake his head in blatant disbelief. “When you weren’t there, I thought I lost you—” 

“I’m here,” Thor hushed him, tightening his hold and smothering Steven’s face in kisses. Oh, how he loved this man. “You have me, beloved. I’m here.” 

“You—” A sniffle interrupted Steven, and he used the back of his hand to rub the precious tears from his eyes. Even as he cried, he was still ethereal. “This is the second time I thought you left for good.”

“I wouldn’t leave you for the world.” Thor gently grasped his chin and wiped away the tear droplet falling down his beautiful face. Steven mustered a smile and another loud sniffle. “Not now, not ever.”

But before Thor could say much else, Steven leaned up to kiss the words from his mouth and murmured, “I’ll be right back.” 

Then, Steven strode over to where his past self was shifting his weight from foot to foot. 

As the two Stevens conversed, Thor outstretched his arm and willed for Mjolnir’s presence. He waited anxiously for his weapon, but his nerves were unneeded, for Mjolnir easily flew to his hand. 

 _Yes! I’m still worthy_. 

His elation only doubled when Steven glanced back to wave to him. “Only the good things, I hope.”  

Thor’s grin was lovestruck as he returned the wave. “I could never speak ill about you, my dear.” 

Steven placed a hand on his hip and quirked a dubious brow. “You poked fun at me for dropping a fish once, dear.”

Thor’s grin turned a little sheepish. That had been hilarious. “You neglect to say I complimented you right after, dearest.”

Steven turned back to acknowledge his past self, who was currently looking absolutely torn. “Can’t believe it took us this long to figure it out, huh?”

“Yeah. We’re kinda an idiot.”

“My idiot,” Thor chimed in, and Steven let out more laughter at his words. 

Then, he jerked a thumb in a vague direction. “I’d love to stay and chat, but we have to go. Universe can’t save itself.”

“Right, right.” Past Steven’s expression was so crestfallen that Thor wanted to kiss the sadness off his face. “Good luck with that—to the both of you.” 

“Keep it,” Steven said as he took his place beside Thor, providing past Steven with the smallest and yet most woeful smile. “You’re gonna need all the luck you can get.” 

With that, their helmets manifested, and they disappeared in a flash of blue.

—

When they rematerialized on the platform in HQ, Steve could feel the tension in the atmosphere—heavy, like a weight.  

“What’s going on here?” Steve dared to ask, searching for the source of the problem.

It was then that he realized they were short by one person, and the resigned look on Nat’s face was an answer in itself. 

—

The lake shimmered underneath the sunlight like a space blanket, picturesque and unfitting for a place to mourn Clint. 

“I wanted it to be me,” Nat said in a hushed tone, her eyes fixed to the far horizon. “He wouldn’t allow that. He sacrificed himself for the damn Stone.” 

Steve rested a hand on Nat’s shoulder in an effort to bring her comfort, mouth set in a deep frown. “I’m sorry, Nat.”

“He can’t possibly be dead. So long as we have the Stones, we can bring him back.” Thor sounded so certain that Steve wanted to believe him. “Isn’t that right, beloved?”

Steve could only bow his head in grief.

“We can’t bring him back,” Nat said to break the silence. Her voice, usually modulated and cool, now trembled, and she curled her hand around Steve’s in a vice-like grip. “It can’t be undone.”

Steve gazed at the dense forest for some time, before saying, “Then let’s make his sacrifice worth it.”

—

The Compound was blasted into oblivion before they could snap.  

—

A cough rattled in his chest, jolting Steve out of his temporary stupor. He blinked an eye open, groaning lowly at the bright shaft of light seeping through the cracks of the debris. 

Thor shielded him from the searing light, kneeling down to take his hand with concern in his eyes. “My love, are you alright?”  

“For almost getting buried alive, I’m doing okay,” Steve attempted at a joke. Thor didn’t find it hilarious, however (if the murderous flash in his eyes were any indication).

Steve dug the heel of his hand into his eyes as the god eased him into an upright position, wincing at the pain lacing his body at the slight movement. “What happened?”

“We messed with time,” Tony answered at an opening in the wreckage, eyes trained on something beyond Steve’s line of sight. “It tends to mess back. You’ll see.”

And what Steve saw was Thanos—of all things—sitting amongst the wreck, as if he’d returned from the dead to seek revenge. “What’s he been doing?”

“Absolutely nothing.” Tony handed Steve his shield without bothering to spare him a glance. “The Stones are somewhere under all this. All I know is he doesn’t have them.”

Steve strapped on his shield with a hard tug. “So we keep it that way.”

“Agreed.” Thor’s eyes glowed, and he summoned Stormbreaker...and Mjolnir? “Let’s kill him properly this time.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> explanation in the end notes!! feel free to ask any questions you might have or just to leave a lovely comment
> 
> thanks for reading!! i sincerely hoped you enjoyed this fic as much as i did writing it 💞 
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

Everything was blown to hell.

And at the center of the destruction was none other than Thanos, slowly rotating a helmet in his hands. 

The Titan didn’t require any prompting to speak. “You could not live with your own failure. And where did that bring you?” 

He paused dramatically to watch the trio carefully approach him, maneuvering around rocks until they could stand before him without obstacles. “Back to me.”

“Actually,” Tony said as nanotechnology obscured his face, contorting his voice to sound tinny. “ _You_ came to _us_ , so…” 

Thanos seemed unfazed by the correction and continued. “I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. Thanks to your obstinance, I know now what I must do.”

“And what’s that?” Thor demanded, just as Thanos rose to his feet and screwed on his helmet. Much to their horror, his knuckles started to glow with the Stones.  

A litany of curses streamed from Tony, outwardly voicing Steve’s inner thoughts. 

“Finishing what I started.” Thanos glared condescendingly down his nose at them. “I’ll shred this universe down to its last atom, starting with your little team.”

“Our ‘little team’ has a name.” Tony thrust his arms out in a grand gesture, as if to embrace the whole world. “It’s the Avengers.”

It must’ve looked pathetic with only three of the said Avengers present (if the expression on Thanos’ face was anything to go by). “It’s a shame you won’t uphold it.” 

Steve hefted up his shield and assumed an offensive stance. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

At the drop of a pin, they all attacked.

Before Thanos could harness the Stones, Tony unleashed a raid of missiles and bombs. Steve and Thor executed their combo shockwave, the sheer force leveling out the surrounding rubble.

“Okay, Thor.” A target branched out from Tony like a blooming flower. “Hit me.”

Without missing a beat, Thor slammed his weapons together and charged his lightning. Tony’s suit absorbed the combined energy, and he redirected the current towards Thanos.

Utilizing Stormbreaker as a bat, Thor hurtled Mjolnir at the Titan. Thanos, unfortunately, lifted Tony to use as a human shield.

As Tony hit the ground, Steve found an opening and jammed his shield into Thanos’ flank. He was only able to sock the Titan in the stomach before he was easily tossed aside.

His fall was cushioned by Tony’s unconscious body, and he grunted at the harsh collision.

By the time he’d recovered, Thanos was driving Stormbreaker deep into Thor’s chest. The god was straining to defend himself against his own weapon, arms shaking while blood gushed steadily from the wound.

The world fell away. 

All Steve could focus on was Thor and the loud ringing piercing his ears. 

Without thinking about anything other than protecting Thor, Steve searched for Mjolnir’s energy and willed it into his hand.

The weapon answered his call. 

Thor was gazing at Steve with so much pride and adoration as his fingers closed around the handle—there were even _tears_ glistening in the god’s eyes. “I knew it!”

Thanos struck him down with a swift kick to the abdomen. 

Lightning thrummed in Steve’s fingertips and coursed through his veins. He shut his eyes for a brief second, adjusting to the sudden surge in strength, before snapping them open and allowing instinct to guide him.

He fought as though Mjolnir was _his_ weapon—as though he’d used it his whole life—alternating between the shield and the hammer. 

However, the Titan eventually overpowered him with the Stones, and Mjolnir was knocked out of his hand.

Like his chipped shield, Steve crumpled to the ground once more.

“In all my years of conquest, violence, slaughter...it was never personal.” Thanos carelessly flung his helmet and sneered triumphantly down at Steve. “But now, I’m going to enjoy what I’m about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet. Very, very much.”  

As Thanos’ army entered the battlefield, Steve slowly clambered to his feet. In that moment, he stood alone against Thanos’ horde, his only company the remnants of a shield.

He brought a shaky hand up to restrap his shield, gritting his teeth against the pain.

Thanos was a menacing figure, silhouetted in shadows and flames—the physical manifestation of evil. “You can’t win. I am inevitable.” 

And exactly like he’d done in 2018, Thanos snapped. 

But unlike 2018, nothing happened this time. 

“I am Ironman.” Thanos whirled around to see Tony standing behind him with the Stones in _his_ possession, face set with determination. “And we are the Avengers. _Including_ her.”

For the first time ever, Thanos appeared horrified as Tony handed the gauntlet over to Nebula, who had risen from the rubble. 

She held her father’s gaze, eyes aloof but with an undercurrent of something _human_ (something she’d learn from Tony), and wordlessly snapped. 

Everything was enveloped in white. 

Her arm had blown off from the force of the (now destroyed) Stones, but she seemed unperturbed by the loss of her limb. 

Suddenly, a crackling came from Steve’s communicator, and he froze up at the sound of _Sam’s_ voice. “Cap. On your left.”

Steve’s eyes widened when he turned in time to see Okoye, Shuri, and T’Challa step through a sparking portal to his left side. 

More portals opened up all around the battlefield. A wizard descended through, followed by Rocket’s teammates and Parker. Valkyrie, on the back of Spirit, waved at him with her sword.  

Steve lost count as more and more heroes from across the universe joined. With hope and newfound strength, he turned to face Thanos and his army again.  

He felt like he could accomplish anything with teammates, allies, and _family_ fighting alongside him. 

“Avengers!” Steve shouted, voice cutting through the air. He caught Mjolnir and ground out through clenched teeth, “ _Assemble_.” 

Thor roared ferociously, and the _real_ battle commenced. 

—

When Steve paused to take in his surroundings, he saw that _everyone_ was united and fighting in tandem—as one. 

Tony was with Potts, Rocket with his family, Scott with an unfamiliar winged woman, T’Challa with _Clint_ , Thor with Bruce, and Nebula with yet another unfamiliar woman against Thanos. 

“Help!” Parker cried out, swarmed by an overwhelming number of aliens. “Somebody help!”

Steve was about to step in when a group of women swooped in to the rescue. One of them, Nat, caught his eye and smiled in an ‘I got this’ way. 

He detected the blur of movement at the edge of his vision and turned in time to witness an alien being shanked with a comically small knife.  

The wielder, Loki, gave him a quick once over and lifted his eyebrows at him. “Oh, dear. All this time I’ve spent mocking you, only for _this_ to happen.”

‘This,’ which probably referred to Mjolnir. Steve hefted his shoulder in a half-shrug, as if it weren’t a big deal. 

“Steven!” At the pure mirth in Thor’s voice, Steve smiled, eyes crinkling at the god landing beside him. “You always look wonderful in battle.” 

Did Thor find his disheveled and bloodied state attractive? What a coincidence: Steve, also, found Thor’s battle-worn physique attractive. “Not as wonderful as you.” 

Steve didn’t know when they’d gotten this close—or when he’d swapped weapons with Thor. “You still using this?”  

“No, no, give me that,” Thor said irritably, reaching out a hand to seize Stormbreaker and passing Mjolnir to him with a light toss. “You have the little one.” 

Steve, reluctantly, gave up Stormbreaker (and _definitely_ didn’t pout). 

Thor’s aggravated expression marginally softened, and he stopped everything to drop a sweet kiss to Steve’s mouth. “I’ll let you use it after we win.”

Then, the god released a battle cry and hurtled directly into the fray, blasting the entire area with lightning.  

Steve sighed dreamily, practically _melting_ on the spot. “I love him.” 

“Tell me about it,” Bucky said with amusement in his voice, and Steve felt the back of his neck burn with embarrassmen—wait, _Bucky_?

Bucky—whole and alive—smiled at Steve’s reaction, clapping him firmly on the shoulder. “Maybe after we win?” 

“ _If_ we win,” Steve said, just to be a little shit, and he dove straight back into battle with lightning crackling in his hands.

—

The battle officially ended with Carol tearing through an entire warship, clearing the skies and allowing the sun to shine on them.

Loki sent a significant glance in Thor’s direction and said, matter-of-factly, “I told you so.”

Thor laughed, bright as the sunlight overhead, and one by one, the Avengers joined in. 

Steve laughed and laughed until tears filled his eyes. 

Before he knew it, they were all hugging, meshed together in a tangle of limbs and laughter. Thor’s hands found his, and suddenly, Steve was leaning up and Thor down and they shared a long, victorious kiss.   

“We won,” Steve murmured against Thor’s mouth because he _still_ couldn’t believe it. Years upon years of anguish and sacrifice and it was finally over.  

They could truly be at peace, for once. 

And of _course_ it was Tony who interrupted the celebration to ask, “Think that shawarma joint is still kicking?”  

Steve drew away to smile. “Let’s find out.” 

—

Carol was sitting with Nick, Agent Hill, and an orange tabby. The feline’s face opened up and _tentacles_ completely obliterated the food. 

Hill was, understandably, shocked. “Just when I thought I’d seen it all.” 

In the next table over, T’Challa, Shuri, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje were all sitting together. From what Steve could see, Shuri was showing off her Nikes, gaining a long sigh from T’Challa. 

The table beside them was rather chaotic. Thor and the Asgardians were having celebratory drinks, chugging straight from a barrel. Loki looked like he wanted to vanish completely. 

Meanwhile, Parker was talking animatedly to his best friend and aunt. “—and then I was all like, _pew_ _pew_!” 

He accidentally webbed Strange, to which Wong started to crack up about (much to Strange’s displeasure).

Scott, his daughter, the winged woman (Hope, apparently), and his other friends enveloped one another into a group hug.

At another table, Rocket was with his family, fretting over Groot. Nebula was sitting close to the woman she’d fought Thanos with (Gamora), and smiled slightly when she realized Gamora was holding hands with Quill.

Clint and Tony were with _their_ family—Clint attempting to convince his kids to try shawarma and Tony having more success with Morgan. 

Wanda was at a table with Vision, watching him closely as if she were afraid that he’d disappear from sight. 

And at Steve’s own table, Sam and Bucky were stealing from each other’s plates. He glanced over at Nat, and they shared a secret smile. 

He was halfway done with his dish when Nat prodded at his leg and indicated behind him with a curt nod.  

What greeted him was Tony, reserving a table for what he assumed to be for the founding Avengers (judging by Prof. Hulk, Thor, and Clint occupying the seats).

“Care to join us?” Tony gestured to two empty chairs, just _waiting_ to be filled by Steve and Nat. “There’s room for all of us.”  

“How can I say no?” Nat asked, and with her usual grace, pushed back her chair to stand. “Later, boys.”

Steve stood but paused mid-turn to throw a quip at Bucky. “Don’t do anything stupid ‘till I get back.”

“How can I?” Bucky said automatically, as though he were reciting rehearsed lines. “You’re taking all the stupid with you.”

Steve followed Tony to the table and smiled warmly when Thor’s face lit up at his presence. The god eagerly patted the seat next to him, as if he’d been saving it for Steve. 

“Hey.” Steve all but dropped down onto the chair, sagging against Thor in relief. “Eleven years, and it still tastes the same.”

Thor draped an arm over Steve’s shoulders to kiss him, chuckling when Steve wrinkled his nose at the traces of beer in his breath. “Some things never change.” 

“Unlike today.” Steve craned his neck to gaze up into the sky, no longer choked with plumes of smoke. “We changed the fate of the universe.” 

“Unless it was always intended to be this way.” 

Steve tilted his head back down to peer curiously at Thor. “With us winning?” 

“Yes. And this.” Thor closed the gap between them for a kiss again, and laughed giddily when their necklaces caught.

“Aww,” His teammates _and_ family cooed at the same moment Clint cheered, “A victory in many!” 

Although they managed to disentangle their necklaces, Steve kept his eyes on Thor. He was content, he was _happy_ , and he was unequivocally in love.  

A smile spread across Steve’s face, like the dawn of a new day. “It is, isn’t it?”

—

Steve remembered thinking once that the guy who wanted family and stability went into the ice decades ago. 

He’d been wrong. 

The guy who wanted normalities was still in him, even after everything. And maybe it wasn’t a simple life, but defending the universe wasn’t simple.

It’s okay. Steve affectionately trailed his fingers along Thor’s, earning a fond smile in return as their wedding rings clicked together.  

He had a team to watch his back, a _husband_ , and a place to call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when nebula destroyed the stones, everyone was released from the soul world including clint!!
> 
> she didn’t wish for anything but you know how they have to return the stones?? i feel like if they don’t, then it’ll introduce the multiverse
> 
> also, the ending was loosely based on this post!!
> 
> https://saccharinemonochromaticism.tumblr.com/post/184424492980/the-only-contribution-i-can-do-for-a-fix-it-for


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